Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter
by ReeseHolden
Summary: Nathan and Haley's little girl was growing up fast. It began one summer day. His green eyes, brown hair, and that uniform were all it took. Charlotte fell hard and she fell fast. She fell in love. Spin off of Little Moments. Try it out!
1. Young Hearts Run Free

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 1: Young Hearts Run Free**

**A/N: So as many of you probably already figured out from the title, this is Charlotte's spin off story from Little Moments. Nathan and Haley's little girl is all grown up, or getting there, and one hot June day is the beginning of it all. If you haven't read Little Moments, don't worry, you don't have to. It will just give an upper hand on what's in store for the characters but it's not something that is necessary. All information you need will be in this, but if you want to read more about the couple and characters I'll be posting which correlating chapter goes with this story's chapter at the bottom.**

**Sorry for those of you who thought this was going to be published last Sunday. Among other things I spontaneously extended my vacation causing the stir in my posting schedule. I'll try to be more consistent...really. I do apologize!**

**OTHOTH**

She was a North Carolina girl. A North Carolina girl who grew up in the small town of Tree Hill just outside of Wilmington. Charlotte Scott was smart, she was beautiful, she was thoughtful, and she was gracious.

It was hard not to be those things when her mother was Haley James Scott. Charlotte and her mom were nearly one in the same. Their big brown eyes could be read like a book and their selflessness was unlike any other, but Charlotte had gotten a few things from her father too. Nathan had passed down his charm, his smirk, that natural athletic ability his wife just didn't seem to have, and even Charlotte's brother, Jamie, gave her a few things. He was wise beyond his years and always had been. Their relationship was really something. Somehow she'd been the one to get him through tough moments and he'd been the same with her. Their seven year age difference didn't hinder anything one bit and if anything, it actually helped. They were both so similar but at the same time different, and in many respects it was what made them so close. But aside from all that, Nathan, Haley, and Jamie Scott were more than just important, they were family.

At twenty two, two weeks away from her twenty third birthday, Charlotte was about to spend her second summer at home. It had been just over a year since she'd graduated from Brown University and she was still trying to find herself. With a major in education, specializing in human development, Charlotte spent the last school year substituting at New Hanover High School but that was probably going to change soon. She'd gotten an interview at Tree Hill High scheduled for next week and hoped that the job would be hers. It was where she went to high school, where her whole family went to school, and her mom even had a brief stint teaching there. All in all, it was where she wanted to be, where she needed to be.

A year ago when Charlotte had come home from Rhode Island, she found herself back in North Carolina and it just so happened that her best friend and cousin, Sawyer Scott, was in need of a roommate. Sawyer was a year older and had gone to Berklee College of Music up in Boston to get a degree in music business which really wasn't surprising. Music was one of Sawyer's passions and with her mother heading up Red Bedroom Records, Sawyer always knew that she wanted to do the same. And so, since she never wanted it handed to her, she went up to Massachusetts and got a degree that would show how committed she was to the family business. Then after all that, she'd bought a little bitty house in Tree Hill and the summer Charlotte came home, Sawyer had all but kicked her other roommate out so her cousin could move in.

So there it began. A hilarious twosome trying to make it on there own, and while it was fun it was also a challenge. The two girls were opposites but complimented each other as well. Charlotte was a morning person and Sawyer...wasn't. Charlotte was a very organized, very neat person, and Sawyer...wasn't. She lost her car keys the moments she'd set them down. Charlotte was short, and Sawyer was tall, brown eyed versus blue, brown hair versus blonde, but through those differences were the things that brought them together. But today was one of those days where their differences really played out.

Charlotte was dressed in a simple white t-shirt and navy running shorts. Her sun glasses were in her hand and she walked from her bedroom to Sawyer's and her fist pounded on the door. "Sawyer? You better be up! We've got to be downtown in twenty minutes."

The elder Scott peeked her lids open and rolled her eyes. Still wrapped up in her covers, Sawyer was not ready at all. "Why do you do this to me? You know I'm not a morning person."

Charlotte laughed and rested her forehead against Sawyer's bedroom door, "Because it's for a good cause and I know you want to see all those shirtless guys." It was true. There were going to be lots of them. The United States Coast Guard backed the annual 5K Diligence Dash every summer and it just so happened that Charlotte volunteered not only herself, but Sawyer as well to help out with the festivities. But while it may have seemed not so fun, there was a plus side. There would be lots of ripped Coasties running through the streets, many shirtless, and glistening with sweat. That alone was enough to get anyone out of bed.

A smile crept out of Sawyer's mouth, "Give me five minutes." She kicked her covers off her feet and quickly changed into the white volunteer t-shirt that matched Charlotte's and some black shorts. Her tangled blonde hair was sticking out in a few places and she quickly threw it up in a pony tail. Walking out of her bedroom, Sawyer smiled facetiously at Charlotte, "Thanks for the wake-up call."

Charlotte took a sip of her orange juice and nodded, "I knew you'd like that."

Laughing as she walked to the fridge, Sawyer got out the bowl of grapes, "We're taking my car by the way."

"What? Wait a minute." Charlotte shook her head, "Mine's fine."

"I know it's fine, but mine's better. It's a convertible." Sawyer popped a grape in her mouth and saw that her friend was trying to say something in return. She shook her head and turned to her brown eyed cousin, "Charlotte, you really don't have an argument."

Sighing heavily, Charlotte conceded. She didn't have a stellar argument but Sawyer's car didn't even have airbags. That whole side of the family was into old cars and Charlotte had never understood the obsession. "Should we get helmets to wear while we ride?" She'd never been particularly fond of old cars, they weren't safe. She liked tight seat belts and airbags that exploded from the dash and the side curtain of the car.

Sawyer looked out to the street and saw her pride and joy ready and waiting. It was a 1966 Volkswagen Karmann Ghia and the sea blue paint glistened in the sunlight. It wasn't her mom's Comet or her dad's old Mustang, but it was pretty cool. It was a four speed with tan interior, a matching canvas top, and a newly redone stereo system, how could you not like it?

"You know you love it." Sawyer nodded her head, "But I mean, if you want to get a helmet you're more than welcome to."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed, "Whatever, are you ready?"

"I've been ready for a while now, just waiting on you." Sawyer's snarky tone was just like her mother's and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh again.

"Alright, let's go."

The girls walked out of their small home and while Sawyer headed to the car, Charlotte locked the front door. As she made her way to the car, she heard the engine roar to life and that the stereo was blaring Elvis Costello's "Pump it Up". Charlotte laughed to herself as she opened the passenger side door. Anyone and everyone was going to know that they'd be rolling through since the music was so loud.

Sawyer took a sip of her orange juice to-go and pulled off the curb and the engine popped as she shifted gears. The girls were in for a busy morning and Charlotte was in for a lot more. Not only would she be handing out race packets, she'd be caught up by something else, or rather, someone else.

**OTHOTH**

He was a North Carolina guy. A North Carolina guy who grew up on the little barrier island, Kill Devil Hills, that helps make up the Outer Banks. Graham McFarland was smart, he was handsome, he was kind, and he spent his days trying help people.

That last part about him trying to help people was a natural instinct. Being that he was in the United States Coast Guard, Graham had this way that portrayed him as noble. He'd always been that way though. Even as a teenager he'd been a lifeguard who kept a watchful eye on vacationers who he treated like family.

His own parents and siblings would joke that the ocean was like another family member, that the sand Graham would trape in from the beach should have it's own spot at the dinner table, and that the white zinc oxide that covered his nose was more like a birth mark rather than everyday sunscreen. Even with his aquatic antics, his parents, Mitchell and Anne, were incredibly proud of their son, and so was his older sister, Lane, and his younger brother, Crawford. The guy they knew, they guy they loved was someone who made a difference, or at least tried to.

Graham had lived in four different places already in his young lifetime. He spent his childhood in Kill Devil Hills, his collegiate career in Connecticut, then more recently he was stationed in Mobile, and then Tree Hill. After transferring from Mobile, Alabama, Graham had now been in Tree Hill for almost five months. Things in the small coastal town were still new but lucky for him, his best friend, Ben, had transferred with him. They'd done nearly everything together. They both graduated from the United States Coast Guard Academy the same year, trained together, and struck up a friendship that was as close as brothers. After graduation, Ben was assigned to be stationed in Mobile and Graham went to train for rescue swimming in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, but once he completed the program Graham was sent to Mobile where the two friends met back up. They were both only in the Alabama port city for a short time before they were assigned their new station: Tree Hill.

At twenty six years old, Graham McFarland found himself in a relatively new city, but he was doing something he loved. There was nothing better than being close to the water, feeling the sand on his feet, or watching that sun rise from behind the dark waters of the Atlantic, and Tree Hill gave him all of that. Sandwiched between the Cape Fear and the tides of the ocean, the small town was an ideal place for him to be. But, like every new place, there were challenges. In particular some annual 5K called the Diligence Dash the Coast Guard threw.

It wouldn't have been so bad had he known about it, had he prepared for it, but he didn't. Graham had only overheard one of his commanding officers mention it in passing and then he found out that all Coast Guard personnel, body willing and able, were supposed to run. That was only two weeks ago, not near enough time to prepare for such a daunting task. It could have been worse though, it wasn't like Graham was in bad shape. Actually, he was in impeccable shape. He was strong, he was athletic, he was a rescue swimmer for crying out loud. He could swim for miles but running was something else. He hated running. He'd rather be kicking his feet in the water than pounding them on the pavement.

As he made his way through the crowds of people, Graham saw a group of his buddies and that Ben was in the middle of them. It wasn't until Graham got a little closer that he saw why his best friend was the center of attention.

"What happened to you?" Graham pointed at the giant wet spot on Ben's shirt.

Holding out his hands, Ben shook his head, "It was Trevor's fault."

Smiling and nodding to himself, Trevor looked proud. "Yeah, it was."

Ben rolled his eyes, "Well, this asshole over here whistled at these girls that were stopped at the stop sign, and the driver threw her orange juice at us, at me! And I didn't have anything to do with it!"

Graham could tell that Ben was halfway mad, and halfway amused at the situation. He was about to say something when Trevor shrugged, "But you should of seen them. God, they were fine."

Graham couldn't help but laugh, "Oh yeah?" He looked at Ben and laughed again, "Too bad she didn't throw her number your way with that juice of hers."

"Shut up." Ben wasn't fond of Graham's humor. "I've got to go find a new shirt. This one is going to start to stink if I run in it."

Trevor raised his eyebrows, "Then you'll really attract the ladies."

Ben let out an exacerbated, 'ugh' and pushed through the guys to find a new shirt somewhere.

Graham started walking behind his friend, "Hey, wait up." Once he was walking step for step with Ben, he used his thumb to point behind him, "I've got a shirt in my car you can have."

Ben stopped walking and sighed, "Thanks man."

"Yeah, sure."

Looking down at his watch, Ben then glanced to the registration lines, "You should probably head over and get your stuff. We've got to be on the starting line in like fifteen minutes and those lines look long."

Graham turned his head and saw the lines. He nodded and the two friends went their separate ways. Graham walked toward the registration booth and saw that he needed to be in the first line, A-M. He didn't know it then, but that line would turn out to be more than the place to get a registration packet. It would turn into the the first time he saw her, the first time he spoke to her, the moment he'd realize that he'd never seen someone so beautiful. On that day, in that line, Graham would never be so thankful that his last name fit between A-M.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte and Sawyer had been handing out registration packets for the last forty minutes and people just kept on coming. Men and women of all ages and sizes crammed through the lines and with only fifteen or so minutes to go, Charlotte was worried that she wouldn't see him.

The him, she was thinking about was her father. Every year for as long as she could remember Nathan had been running in the Diligence Dash and she at least wanted to see him before he took off. Took off may have not been the right word choice because Nathan was pushing fifty but he still had it in him. He was a natural competitor there was never a race he didn't think he could win.

Charlotte turned her attention to Sawyer when she heard a very unattractive growl come from Sawyer's stomach.

"Next." Sawyer smiled up at the man in front of her and handed him his packet and she could feel Charlotte's eyes on her. The blonde haired Scott looked to the brunette one. "What? I didn't eat much and you know what happened to my orange juice."

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head, "That could have been avoided if you hadn't thrown it at those guys."

"No, that was bound to happen. They were asking for it."

Charlotte shrugged, "I think they were trying to compliment us."

"Whatever." Sawyer wasn't really the kind to be all for adoration and goo-goo eyes, or for that matter, a whistle or two when she drove by. Someone she'd be interested in would have a lot more intellect to do anything like that.

"And you know, I don't think you even hit the guy who was being so obnoxious."

Sawyer felt a little bad when Charlotte said that. Once she'd thrown her orange juice out of the car she never looked back. "Okay, well I don't have the best aim, but I'm sure it wasn't that big of a deal."

Charlotte handed the person in front of her their packet and looked at Sawyer with wide eyes. She started laughing and tried to stop but couldn't. It hadn't been anything Sawyer said but the image of Sawyer drilling that poor guy with her orange juice was hysterical. Charlotte's laughter was contagious and Sawyer couldn't help but laugh too.

It wasn't until a familiar voice spoke up that broke the girls laughter. The man looked down and raised his brow, "Are you girls giving people a hard time?" Nathan teased Charlotte and Sawyer as he made it to the front of the line.

Charlotte looked up and saw the familiar blue eyes that belonged to her father, "Dad, hey. I was wondering when we'd see you."

"Hey Uncle Nathan." Sawyer smiled and began to look for Nathan's number as he and Charlotte talked.

"Well I got held up talking with your mom and Aunt Brooke."

Laughing, Sawyer handed Nathan his number before Charlotte even responded, "Gee, you're lucky you even got away."

Nathan looked at his niece, took his registration packet from her, and laughed, "I know. Thanks." He tore off the back of his number and stuck it to his shirt. "Is it straight?"

Both girls nodded. Charlotte handed the person she was assisting their papers and looked up to her father. "Good luck Dad."

Nathan nodded to his daughter, "Thanks Char." He walked off toward the starting line and the girls helped the next people.

"Next please." Charlotte had her head down and was waiting for the name.

"McFarland. Graham."

Charlotte turned to the M's and found the registration. She handed it over to the young guy and when she looked up brown met green. He looked familiar but she knew she'd never met him before, "Hi." She noticed his gray t-shirt with USCG printed on the front, the way his light brown hair was just a shade lighter than her own, and that he was probably around six feet.

He didn't say anything at first as he was captivated by the girl in front of him. "Hey." Charlotte passed him the registration and was about to say 'next' but he spoke up, "So I've never done this before. What is all this stuff?"

Charlotte looked up and took the packet back from him. She opened it up and took out his number and smirked, "Well." She glanced down at the name and then back to him, "Graham McFarland. This is your registration number. You peel it off..." She began to strip off the paper and looked back to him, "...and stick it on..." She stood up and placed the adhesive paper to his shirt. As she patted the material down she felt the his toned stomach beneath the t-shirt, "...just like that."

He ran his hands over the numbers and smiled, "Thanks." He hesitated for a moment, not wanting to walk away from this brown eyed beauty. "I'm Graham by the way."

Charlotte sat back down and bit her bottom lip. She knew that already, he'd already told her his name so she could find his registration. Charlotte looked up to Graham and smiled, " I'm Charlotte."

"Well thank you for you're help, Charlotte." He smiled at her and as much as he wanted to continue to talk to this girl he knew there were others in line, so he simply turned and walked away.

Sawyer turned to her cousin and gawked, "Whoa, who was that and where can I find one?"

"I don't know? He just. He just got his registration." Charlotte was slightly blushing and tried to look down in order to hide it.

"Well, whoever he is, he's all kinds of adorable." The more lighthearted, fun loving, kind spirited Sawyer shone through.

Charlotte nodded, "Yeah, he was...nice." She didn't quite know how to describe him. As she turned her head in the direction of the starting line she saw the guy she'd just met stretching. She scanned the crowd and saw her father and waved. Nathan waved back and when he looked away she found her self looking for Graham. She didn't know why, they had only just met, if you could even call it that, but something about that guy had her heart racing.

**OTHOTH**

When rumbles of applause echoed down the streets, an event coordinator gathered all of the volunteers and gave them new assignments. With a new duty at hand, Charlotte and Sawyer moved from the registration table and were now helping haul bright orange coolers towards the finish line. At least they were on wheels, but that wasn't helping with Sawyer's less than pleasant attitude. She had behaved herself, no more throwing drinks on strangers, but that was until she felt her stomach grumble with hunger pangs calling for sustenance.

Charlotte had just finished moving her third cooler when she saw Sawyer standing a few feet away with her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"Looks like we're done." Sawyer pulled her keys from her pocket and smiled, "I'm thinking Mexican?"

"Sawyer, we have to hand out drinks to the runners."

"Why? Is it really that hard to open a cooler and stick your hand in some ice to pull out a little bottle that will _quench your thirst_?"

Charlotte smirked as she watched Sawyer demonstrate, but she felt the need to stick up for the hundreds of strangers who were bound to cross the finish line at any moment.

"They're probably really tired, they just ran like three miles."

Sawyer did what she does best and rolled her blue eyes as she let out a groan of defeat. "Ugh, fine. But when we're done with all of this crap, it's you and me, a couple tacos, some cheese dip, and a few margaritas."

"Sawyer, it's ten in the morning. Margaritas?"

"Well, by the time we're done here it will be past noon." Sawyer smiled, "Okay, maybe not, but we can get sopapillas! Come on Char, live a little."

"Alright, alright. " Charlotte nodded then turned towards the finish.

The announcer had come over the loud speaker and was calling the end of the race much like that of the Kentucky Derby. Why someone would equate these runners to horses Charlotte didn't understand, but it was fairly entertaining.

With a crack of the speakers, an animated and enthusiastic voice resonated through the humid morning air. "Rounding the final corner, it looks like it's none other than last years winner, Lieutenant Commander Perry Tillman. Everyone get on your feet."

Applause and cheering broke from the spectators and that's when Charlotte knew things were about to get a little crazy. The drink station was sure to get bombarded with exhausted runners and she needed to stay focused. However, she found herself watching the runners cross the checkered line and a certain someone caught her eye. It was her dad.

She had seen her father cross the line and Charlotte was so proud of him when she saw that he'd made the top twenty. He sure had the fight of an athlete in his prime, and now almost twenty years after his glory days, Nathan still had it in him. From a distance she saw her mom congratulate her dad and in every instance she saw them like that, when she saw the way he looked at her, or the way she looked at him, it made her own heart fill with joy. Her parents had been through it all. The good, the bad, the whatever else, and still managed to be more in love with each other than they had in the beginning. It seemed almost unrealistic for Charlotte to wish she'd find a love like that.

Hearing the crunch of hands forced into ice, Charlotte turned around and began pulling Lemon-Lime and Orange Gatorade from the coolers. She handed out more than she could count and was placing a couple yellow bottles on the table when she heard someone ask a question.

"Do you have anymore orange ones?"

Not turning around, Charlotte dug through her cooler without any luck. She hollered over to Sawyer who had a couple oranges and caught one after a quick toss.

"Here." As Charlotte turned to give the runner his drink she smiled, "Oh."

He cracked the seal and smirked. "Oh?"

Charlotte felt a surge of heat rush to her cheeks. "Hi."

"Hey Charlotte." Graham pushed the little bottle to his lips and took a sip of his drink.

Charlotte felt her cheeks roast hotter when she realized that he'd remembered her name. "Nice race." Charlotte turned her back to Graham to get out another Gatorade for an incoming runner and silently cursed herself for saying, 'nice race.' How lame.

Graham smiled, "Thanks." He looked at the girl in front of him then towards the finish line, "So how'd I do for my first go at this?

Charlotte tilted her head and glanced back to the group of top twenty, "Not bad."

He looked at the group of top twenty and then back to Charlotte. "You know, I let some of those old guys pass me."

She laughed glad he had a sense of humor. "Really?"

He shook his head, "No." Graham laughed and looked at the medal contenders "I just hope when I'm their age I've still got it."

Charlotte had the feeling that Graham wouldn't have a problem keeping up with those blazing forty somethings when he hit that age.

Before Charlotte told him that he would, Graham pointed over at Perry. "That guy is a mad house, basically ran circles around me."

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head, "Nah, he's just been doing this a lot. I think he's won the last three of four, or something like that."

Graham took a deep breath and ran his hands over his stomach, "So I take it, this isn't your first time here?"

"No. I've been at this thing for the last twenty three years." Charlotte let out an embarrassed laugh, "My dad always runs and normally my brother does too."

"But you don't run?" Graham hoped that he didn't seem like he was prying. He was only curious.

"I did it a few times in high school but it was always more fun to be on the sidelines, cheering everyone on, or helping out." Charlotte bit her lip, "I think it's great that the Coast Guard puts this on."

Graham loved the sincerity in her voice. He looked behind him to the cutter tied up and then back to Charlotte, "So have you ever been on it?"

"On what?" Charlotte raised her brow.

"The Diligence." He pointed to the boat.

She nodded, "Actually I have. It was a field trip. Fourth grade I think? My class went aboard and we got a mini history lesson."

"I guess that messes up my plan then."

"Your plan?"

He nodded and a cute grin spread across his face, "Yeah. Seeing as that's my company's boat, I thought I might take you out on it." Charlotte could feel the heat return to her cheeks and Graham shrugged, "But since you've already had the tour, I guess that's a no go."

Charlotte noticed that it looked like he was turning to walk away so she spoke up, "Well if you don't want to take me on the boat, you could take me to dinner."

Graham laughed as he tossed his Gatorade bottle in the trash, "Well you've just messed up my plan B."

Furrowing her brow, Charlotte shook her head. She didn't know what he meant.

"You see." He took a step closer to her as he walked back from the trash can. "I was going to ask you out but you kind of beat me to the punch." He looked around and laughed. "We've known each other for what, a grand total of six minutes?" His grin returned as he inched back towards the table. "Am I that predictable?"

Charlotte, flustered with his charm, shook her head. "No, I uh...I just thought that maybe we, that you and I..."

Leaning on the table Graham smirked. "How about seven, that restaurant?" He pointed to the building halfway down the River Walk with green awnings. "Does that sound alright?"

"Yeah, it..it's great." Charlotte smiled and saw a Sharpie on the table in front of her. She tore off her volunteer badge and scribbled down her name and number. She handed it to him and sighed. "Just in case."

He took the piece of paper in his hand and read the dark words. "I'll see you tonight, Charlotte Scott."

Charlotte watched him walk away and then she felt a hard nudge. "What the hell was that?"

She turned to see Sawyer grinning ear to ear with her arms crossed in front of her chest. She didn't have an answer, "Huh?"

"Since when do you stutter," Sawyer arched a brow. "And did I hear that correctly, you're gonna go out with him, tonight?"

"Yeah, no." Charlotte shook her head. "I don't stutter! But yes, I'm going to dinner with him."

Sawyer placed her hands on Charlotte's shoulders and smiled. "Where's my cousin and what have you done with her?" She gave the small brunette a couple violent shakes. "The Charlotte Scott _I _know wouldn't jump into something like this."

"It's just dinner."

Sawyer rolled her eyes. "Just dinner, puh-lease."

In between a laugh and a comeback, Charlotte sighed, "He seems really nice."

"They all seem really nice."

Charlotte knew that Sawyer had just gotten out of an unfortunate relationship, "I know, but just because your last boyfriend was a douche doesn't mean Graham will be. I know I just met him, I know that I don't know him. I know that..." Charlotte understood that Sawyer was just looking out for her. "But I'll never find out if I don't get to know him."

Sawyer took a deep breath, "Yeah."

Charlotte walked over to Sawyer and wrapped an arm around her waist, "So you know this means, that tonight you're helping me get ready."

Smiling, Sawyer nodded, "Yeah, but don't think this gets you out of us going to Mexican."

Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "I don't think I could deprive you of that."

Together the girls laughed, and as the race was winding down they were told that they were free to go. Sawyer looked to Charlotte wide eyed and nearly sprinted off to her car. As Charlotte walked slowly behind Sawyer she looked back to the crowd of people and took a deep breath. One of them, one of them was him, somewhere in that sea of people was the guy she was going to dinner with. Charlotte didn't know exactly why but there was something about Graham McFarland that made her nervous and excited. When she got to Sawyer's car, Charlotte sat in the passenger seat thinking about dinner instead of lunch. While Sawyer had her mind on guacamole, Charlotte couldn't stop thinking about Graham.

The car sped out of the parking lot behind Clothes over Bro's and in the side view mirror Charlotte watched as downtown Tree Hill started to fade away. In all the years she'd been going to The Diligence Dash, this day had to be the most memorable. But the day was still young and there was still plenty to do. Feeling her stomach twist in nervous knots, Charlotte knew that seven o'clock couldn't come fast enough.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys, that was chapter 1. The next one will pick up with their first date and then things will continue to progress from there. I know some of you Little Moments readers want to see a scenario when Graham goes missing while on a mission or something and as always, I try to please my readers, so it will be featured at some point in time. This story will be a series of chronological one-shots so you'll get to see the progression of their relationship. The beginning, middle, and (maybe) the end. If any of you have request or want to see them do something in particular let me know.**

**This chapter directly correlates with chapter 25, An Officer and a Gentleman of Little Moments so if any of you want to do read that...go ahead.**

**Review please! I'd love some feedback. Your reviews really encourage me to continue!**


	2. First Time for Everything

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 2: First Time for Everything**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to OTH. Mark and co. get all the praise!**

**A/N: Sorry for the wait guys. But I'm back in town, ready to get work on my stories. Thanks to those of you who reviewed. You're words are inspiring and help propel me to write more chapters. Thank you also to those of you who favorited and or alerted this. Considering this is a complete spin off of Little Moments...with mainly new characters it means a lot that I've got such good support! Check the bottom for replies to those reviewers I couldn't respond to. I hope you like the chapter!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte got out of the shower and wiped away the condensation that fogged up the mirror. Her brown hair was dripping wet and it hung past her shoulders. She ran her fingers through it to push it behind her ears. "How should I do my hair?" She was talking out loud to herself wondering what she was going to do with her brown locks that night.

"Up in a bun." Sawyer yelled through the bathroom door. Charlotte didn't realize, or had forgotten, but the walls were really thin. If Charlotte wanted to talk to herself so Sawyer couldn't hear her she'd need to whisper.

Opening up the bathroom door, Charlotte stuck her head out, "If I wanted your advice I would have asked." She rolled her eyes and shut the door. This time in a quiet whisper she ran the choices through her mind. "I wore it up today so maybe I should wear it down tonight? He's already seen me with my hair up. I'll do that. I'll wear it down and if it get's hot I'll throw it up in a bun." Charlotte nodded to herself and walked out of the bathroom to her room.

She threw on some clothes and opened up her closet. She knew where they were going so Charlotte had an idea about what she wanted to wear, now she only had to narrow it down. She pulled out a the gray summer tank with green straps and then reached for a pair of blue jean shorts. It may not have seemed very dressy by description, but coming from Clothes Over Bro's they sure had style.

The phone on her dresser buzzed and she walked over to it. Charlotte smiled when she read Graham's text. _Thanks. I'll be there just before seven._

Before she'd gotten in the shower he'd texted her asking for her address since he never really made it clear if they were supposed to meet at the restaurant or not. But now all was clear and he would be picking her up in the next half hour.

Sawyer leaned on Charlotte's door frame, "So?" She noticed that Charlotte wasn't wearing her hair up. "Going against my worldly hair advice?"

Charlotte looked up and shrugged, "I just figured I might as well wear it down and if it get's sticky or hot I'll put it up."

The older blonde Scott nodded then looked at the outfit Charlotte picked out. "Classy but casual. You know Aunt Brooke should pay you for wearing her clothes twenty four seven."

"I do not." Charlotte turned to Sawyer and shook her head.

Sawyer raised her brow and laughed, "Oh yes you do. I bet ninety percent of your closet is filled with Clothes Over Bro's stuff and the rest of it is old. Like that old Brown sweatshirt with holes, those jeans you've had since high school with the broken belt loop..."

"Okay, so yeah, I have some old stuff and a lot of Aunt Brooke's stuff." Charlotte looked at her closet and noted that she did have a plethora of Clothes Over Bro's goods. She couldn't help it though. While she was in high school and during her summers home from college she worked there. Brooke basically handed clothes to her. "But that's better than the dingy old band t-shirts you wear. I swear all you're stuff came from your mom."

Sawyer looked down and admired her David Bowie tee. "Hey wait a second, this is cool. Vintage. Just give me a vest, skinny jeans, and boots and I'll be all the rage."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte laughed, "Oh whatever." She looked at her clothes then to her cousin. "So do you like what I picked out or not?"

"I like it just fine. You didn't need my blessing." Sawyer gave Charlotte a sneaky looking grin and walked back out to the living room.

Under her breath Charlotte huffed sarcastically, "Bitch."

"I heard that whore!"

Charlotte's face dropped, "I am not!"

Sawyer was just saying it to rile Charlotte up. Charlotte Scott was in no way, shape, form, or fashion, a whore. Not at all.

Looking in the mirror, Charlotte shook her head. She took a look at the clock and realized that time was flying by. She needed to get dressed soon or Charlotte would be making Graham wait. Pulling her top over her head, she straightened it out then fastened her shorts. Then she applied her mascara and just a tiny bit of blush to give her face a little color.

Once all that was done she walked to the bathroom and quickly brushed her teeth. It was just in case. Charlotte eyed the Listerine but didn't take a swing. While she looked at herself in the mirror she realized that she'd forgotten earrings. Charlotte walked back to the bedroom and saw Sawyer lying on her bed.

"I think I'm more antsy than you."

Charlotte laughed and slid her right earring into place, "Why's that?"

"Cause first dates are exciting, and I know I'm not the one going, but I want all the details when you get back. You'll be my like my personal prime time soap."

"What? I highly doubt it will be a drama filled evening." Charlotte gave Sawyer a funny look.

"I don't know Charlotte. Jamie and Liza's first date was filled with problems and look at them now." Sawyer raised her eyebrows and looked at her cousin.

Charlotte knew her brother's story. She knew all about he and Liza. As much as she'd love to have as good a story as them she wasn't getting her hopes up."Don't compare this to theirs. I highly doubt this will turn into some epic story. You might want to find re-runs of _Days of Our Lives_ or _As the World Turns_ tonight to get your soap fix."

Falling back into Charlotte's pillow's, Sawyer shrugged, "You never know."

Charlotte was confused now, "Wait? I thought you were against this at first. Now you're all for it? Hoping for some good details when I get back?"

"I guess. Pretty much." Sawyer looked out the window and then to Charlotte. "So what kind of car does he drive. You know, the car they drive says a lot about a guy."

She had no idea what kind of car Graham had, "Uh, I don't know. I never saw his car."

"Oh, too bad. I could have told you if he was a keeper or not." Sawyer saw a car pull up to the house and sat up. "Hey, looks like he's here."

"What?" Charlotte hurriedly checked her purse, her pockets, grabbed her phone, and made sure she had everything.

Sawyer nodded, "Yeah. White Chevy Tahoe."

"And what does that mean?" Charlotte glanced out the window and saw Graham walking to the door.

Sawyer smiled and looked at Charlotte, "He's a good guy."

Charlotte was halfway expecting more analytical interpretation of her date's car. "That's it?"

Nodding, Sawyer got up, "Yep." She put her hands on Charlotte's shoulder. "Go. Have a good time. Drink a little. Flirt a lot. And if he kisses you...kiss him back." Sawyer smiled and winked at her younger cousin. They both heard the knock on the front door and Sawyer drug Charlotte out of her room. "Be home before one."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "Okay, Mom." Normally Sawyer called Charlotte that, but this time the situation was reversed. She turned to the front door and before she opened it she took a deep breath. Graham had been nothing but nice earlier and she found herself getting excited. She loved the restaurant and she loved Tree Hill at night. It had a certain romantic aura, and Charlotte already knew she was physically attracted to Graham. But it already seemed more than just that. He was good looking but that wasn't all she found interesting about him. She'd just have to wait to see if her hunch was right after the date though. Draw her own conclusions about Graham McFarland when it was over.

**OTHOTH**

Graham pulled up to the small house and liked the way it looked. He could tell girls lived there. A cute wooden welcome sign hung from the door and the Silver Volvo parked in the driveway was more of a girls car than a guys car. He walked toward the front door and when he saw the small note that said the doorbell was broken he wondered if that was Charlotte's handwriting or a roommate's. Balling his fist up, Graham knocked on the door and waited for an answer.

Charlotte was behind the door and took a deep breath as she opened it. "Hi." Her brown eyes locked with his green orbs and she smiled.

"Hey." He swallowed and threw a smile her way. She looked great.

Shutting the door behind her, Charlotte stepped out onto the front porch and noticed that he looked even more handsome in a polo and khakis than his running t-shirt and shorts. The white color from his shirt made him look even more tan than he probably was and it softened his emerald green eyes to a lighter shade.

"Ready?" Graham hadn't meant to say it but he was so flustered by her presence that he couldn't help it. Of course she was ready. Charlotte had come out of the house, purse in hand. Yes she was ready.

She laughed and nodded, "I am." Remembering the part where Sawyer told her to flirt a lot she gave it a go. Smiling, she raised her brow, "Are you?"

"I'm getting there." Instantly, Graham's eyes rolled at his own comment. 'I'm getting there.' What a dumb thing to say. She probably thought he was an idiot.

Charlotte liked the fact that he wasn't lying just to impress her. She started walking toward the car and Graham had to pick up his pace to catch up. "Here, let me get that." He opened the car door and watched as she sat down in the passenger seat. While he walked around the hood, Charlotte found herself halfway disappointed. The door didn't stick. She shook hear head as if to tell her to stop trying to compare herself with Jamie. That it was okay he'd already found that person he was spending his life with and that she was still looking.

She watched as Graham got into the car and saw him grimace. "Sore from today?"

He nodded, "Yeah." He looked down embarrassed, "I think I should have trained a little more". Pulling onto the street, Graham turned in the direction of downtown Tree Hill and as they drove that way he looked at Charlotte. "So I've never been to the restaurant before. Do you know if it's any good?"

Charlotte nodded. It was a favorite of her family's, especially her parents. "It's great."

Relieved that he wasn't taking her to somewhere she absolutely hated he sighed. "That's good. I was afraid I was taking you to some awful place. It looked crowded at lunch so I thought it had to be good."

"You thought right." Charlotte smirked and looked at Graham, "I've heard the prime rib is excellent."

"Oh yeah?" Graham raised his brow and nodded. He liked prime rib.

Smiling, Charlotte thought about her father's favorite entree from the restaurant. "Yeah."

He wondered if it was a good thing that she had the upper hand since she'd been to the restaurant before. Charlotte was going to know all the good things to get. Graham stopped at a stop sigh and laughed, "You know, I'm still getting used to that." He pointed to the horse and buggy going past them.

Charlotte smiled, "Have you been on one yet?"

"No. I had a bad experience when my family went to New York, so I try and stay away from them."

Interested in what he meant about bad experience, Charlotte pressed him further. "Bad experience?"

Graham accelerated and nodded, "Let's just say that I was too close to the wrong end of the horse." He was trying to be as vague as possible. They were going to dinner after all. He didn't want to say too much and spoil her apatite. He looked at her and grimaced, "It was bad."

Charlotte was pretty sure she knew what he was referring to. Covering her mouth she laughed, "That stinks."

Graham laughed out loud at Charlotte's word choice. "Nice pun."

"Oh, ha, I wasn't even thinking..." Charlotte shook her head that she'd said that. She didn't mean to make a play on words.

He looked over to her and smiled. She was laughing at herself and he thought it was cute. They continued to talk and laugh until they got to the parking lot of the restaurant. Just as they were walking to the entrance, Charlotte's phone started to ring and she knew immediately who it was.

"Sorry. I gotta take this. I'll just be a second."

Graham understood and told her that he'd see if their reservation was ready. He walked inside and gave the hostess his name and was told that it would be a few minutes, that the reservation list was behind so it might be a ten minute wait. He nodded and headed back outside. When he opened the door he overheard part of Charlotte's phone conversation.

"I know bud, but I'll see you tomorrow..."

Curious, Graham thought she might have a kid. She looked young to be a mom but if she was he wouldn't hold it against her. He loved kids.

Charlotte had her back to Graham so she didn't know he was behind her. "Yep, your grandfather did run well. I bet your dad would have beat him though."

Graham could hear what sounded like a little boy's voice on the phone and quietly walked a few feet away. He didn't have any right to listen to her conversation. That was her business. If she wanted to share it with him she would.

Graham went back inside and figured he'd wait in there. As he watched some of the other customers walk in and out of the restaurant he kept thinking about Charlotte and what little he'd noticed in the car. But what he thought was little turned out to be a lot. They way she'd bit her bottom lip, how she tucked a few stray hairs behind her ear, the way her brown eyes seemed to change colors with the intensity of her laugh, and how her kind persona overshadowed it all. Graham knew she was beautiful but it wasn't just that. He knew Charlotte Scott was a good person.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte had been on the phone for about seven minutes and she was trying to wrap things up. "Alright. I miss you too buddy." Her heart broke when the little boy spoke into the phone. She hated that her number one guy, well number one little guy, missed her so much. "I'll see you later, Bennet." Charlotte felt herself nod and spoke one last time into the phone, "Bye."

Charlotte tucked her phone away and walked inside the restaurant. She saw Graham leaning on the wall and he smiled her, "Hey, sorry about that. That was my nephew. We have this deal that we talk on the phone certain nights of the week at certain times and I forgot all about it." She paused for a second and shrugged, "I couldn't let him down. We've got a nice consecutive call streak going."

Graham's eyes widened and he laughed. He thought it was actually a really sweet thing to do. "I bet he's a cool kid." Hearing that Charlotte did that with her nephew made him wish he was a better uncle. Maybe he'd call his niece and nephew tomorrow.

Charlotte smiled and nodded, "Yeah. He uh... Well, my brother normally runs in the Diligence Dash but his wife is about to have their new baby any minute, so he canceled on the run and Bennet, my nephew, was pretty bummed about it."

"Early congratulations on becoming an aunt again."

She turned to him and saw that he was genuinely happy for her. He seemed like the type who probably liked kids. "Thanks. I'm excited. I think it's gonna be a girl but they're waiting to find out."

Graham understood what she was talking about. His sister had done the same thing with her two. Checking his watch, Graham looked down, "And speaking of waiting. It shouldn't be too much longer. They said that they were a little behind so..."

She shrugged and waved it off, "That's okay. I don't mind waiting. You're pretty good company."

Smiling, Graham was proud that she'd said that. He smiled, "If you..."

"Miss Scott?" A man dressed nicely approached Charlotte and cut Graham off. He looked to be in his fifties with gray hair and a booming voice.

Charlotte turned her head and smiled, "Mr. Weatherly, how are you?"

The man smiled and then furrowed his brow, "I'm quite pleasant but please tell me you're not waiting on a table?"

"Yes sir." She looked to Graham and gently placed her hand on his arm, "We..."

"Nonsense. You know you don't have to wait." He tapped a waiter and whispered in his ear. "Come along. I'll take you two to a table."

Graham had no idea who this Mr. Weatherly man was, but apparently he had some sort of authority over the waiters and staff if he was making sure to get Charlotte Scott and her date a table.

Instinctively, Charlotte locked her arm in Graham's and looked back, "I'll explain in a second." He simply nodded and followed Charlotte who was following old man Weatherly.

The older gentleman led the pair outside and smiled, "I know how you like to sit outside, Charlotte."

"Thank you."

Mr. Weatherly turned his attention to Graham, "Take care of this one, young man."

"Yes sir, I will." Graham felt like he was meeting Charlotte's dad. Maybe that was her dad. He didn't know, but he was polite and thanked him for the table. He looked out across the water and smirked, "So that was interesting."

"Yeah, about that." Charlotte looked down and fiddled with the napkin she splayed across her lap. "That was William Weatherly. He owns the place."

Graham nodded, "And he's...you're uncle?"

Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "No. This restaurant is kind of an important place for my parents and well..." She was just going to have to lay it out there. Maybe he wouldn't have any interest that her parents were famous. "Well, you see. This is the place my parents always come to and everyone kind of treats them like celebrities." She felt a little embarrassed by her next statement, "Myself included."

"Oh like local celebrities? Is you're dad like a morning news anchor or something?"

The sheer image of Nathan Scott as a news anchor made Charlotte laugh out loud. "No, he's not." She took a deep breath. "This is going to seem like a lot but...are you a basketball fan?"

"Yeah I am. I never was a good player but my brother and I were big Bobcats fans when we were younger."

Charlotte took an even deeper breath. His reaction was about to say a lot about their potential relationship. "Do you remember a player named Nathan Scott?"

He sure did. Nathan Scott was, or probably still is, the holder for most assists in a single season in Bobcats' history. Graham slowly started to put the pieces together. They got preferential treatment at the restaurant, her last name was Scott, and her first name was Charlotte. Nathan Scott played for the _Charlotte_ Bobcats. He realized just who she was. "You're...you're his daughter?"

Slowly nodding, Charlotte smiled, "I am."

"Wow." That's all he said. He didn't freak and want Nathan's autograph. He didn't get up and run like some of the boys she'd dated before, he just stayed as ordinary as ever.

Charlotte could instantly tell that while he was impressed it hadn't changed his demeanor too terribly much. The initial shock had been minimal compared to what she was expecting. "And there's more." She looked to him and nodded, "My mom. Hal..."

"Haley James Scott. I remember now." Graham was from North Carolina so he knew who they were. He realized that he was having dinner with a former NBA great and an award winning singer/songwriter's daughter.

No one had ever known or realized that her father was married to Haley so it was starling to Charlotte that he knew. He must be from North Carolina. "I'm guessing you're from here."

"Yeah, North Carolina. I spent the first eighteen years of my life up on the Outer Banks. Those barrier islands northeast." Graham had comprehended the fact that Charlotte was basically famous in her own right and realized that no matter who her parents were, she was still just a girl. A girl he wanted to get to know.

Charlotte smiled when she realized he was from the Outer Banks, "Yeah, I've been before."

"Really? Where did you stay?" It was like the last three minutes of their conversation hadn't even happened. When he looked at her he didn't see the family fortune she was probably worth but warm brown eyes that he could get lost in.

"Uh. Well I was about four when we went but I think it was Nags Head."

Graham smiled, "That's on the same island where I grew up, just a few mile posts south." He took a sip of his water. "It's a great place. I love it."

Charlotte wished she remembered more about the trip but that was a long time ago, "I don't remember much. I do know that mom, dad, and my brother all took rides on a biplane. We've got pictures."

"Aw man, you gotta go back. Cape Hatteras is something else. You can drive on the beach and it's like you're on a whole different world. The water and the sand. I've never been anywhere like it."

Intrigued by the Cape Hatteras place, Charlotte nodded, "I guess I'll have to make a trip of it one of these days."

If it hadn't been their first date, Graham would have asked her right then and there to go with him sometime but that would have be a little much, way too soon. They hadn't even gotten to the appetizers and he was already thinking about taking her to see the sunset up there. Instead of going with his initial thoughts he simply nodded, "One of these days."

They way he looked at her when he said that made her stomach flip. A stomach flip that crushed the butterflies that were already floating around to begin with. She'd never felt so strongly about someone so soon. "Yeah."

His emerald green eyes were peaceful and calm and her brow eyes were warm and kind. Neither of them realized that the conversation had died down but it didn't matter. They didn't need waves of chit-chat. Charlotte was perfectly comfortable sitting with Graham watching the Cape Fear roll along the shore and he felt the same. There was an ease he felt while he was with her and he was hoping it would last the rest of the night.

**OTHOTH**

Graham held open the door of the restaurant and he and Charlotte walked side by side toward the car. But the sounds of the Cape Fear caught his attention and he reached for her hand, "Come here."

She nodded, slipped her hand in his and followed his lead. Her shoes clapped against the wooden dock and she had a pretty good idea where he was taking her. Her eyes followed the water and then they landed on the white vessel. "So how'd you decide to do it, be in the Coast Guard?"

He turned to her as they walked and shrugged, "I don't know. You know how little kids say they want to grow up and become firefighters or policemen or something?" Charlotte nodded so he continued. "I think I always wanted to do it. There was no decision to be made. I'd see the white and orange plane fly over the beach at home and I knew that's what I wanted to do." He wasn't sure that was getting to the point so he cut to the chase. "I wanted to help people. I'm a really good swimmer and I figured I might as well use it to my advantage, to other people's advantage."

Charlotte imagined him being some maritime hero, "Don't you ever get scared?"

Graham thought about it, and while jumping out of helicopters scared most, he loved it. He'd plunge into that deep dark ocean and sometimes he had the chance to save a life. He shook his head and smiled, "No. I think the adrenaline kicks in and you forget about what could happen, what might happen. The only thing that goes through your mind is that there is someone or something in the water that needs help, and I'm that guy, the one jumping in to save them. Or trying to." He paused for a minute because not every mission was successful, they couldn't be. As much as he tired to avoid it, not everyone made it home.

She could tell in his voice that he was passionate about what he did. Charlotte couldn't lie to herself though, it scared her to death. A part of her wished he was a banker or accountant. The one thing in life that scared her the most was losing someone close to her. Her mom, dad, brother...and even though she'd just met him, Charlotte couldn't image losing Graham. "What about you're parents? What do they think?"

"They're proud of me." Graham had always been grateful that his family had been behind his decision to go the academy. "I know my mom worries sometimes. Hurricanes really freak her out but they know I'll be okay." Charlotte admired Graham's mom's courage. They'd walked up to the Diligence and Graham smirked, "Want to get aboard?"

"Sure."

He helped her step onto the boat and he walked toward the officer on duty. It was a buddy of his so it wasn't a problem. Graham told him that they were just going to look around and wouldn't be a burden. The guy nodded and Graham started to give Charlotte a little tour.

It had been a while since Charlotte had been on the boat. It was field trip, sometime around fourth grade and it seemed a lot smaller now than she'd remember. Turning to Graham she arched her brow, "What about this? Do you ever go out on this thing?"

He nodded, "Occasionally. Sometimes after a rescue mission they'll send me down here so I can get my bearings."

They walked to the captain's room and he pulled out a life jacket, "But don't worry. These things are unsinkable. We've got these orange suits too. It's all really safe."

Charlotte pointed toward the front, "Can we go out on the bow, topside?"

He was impressed with her nautical jargon. Graham smiled and arched his brow, "I see you know you're boating terms."

"Yeah." Embarrassed a little by her knowledge she nodded, "My dad got a boat a few years back and I helped him study for his vessel license. I got mine too so I know a thing or two."

"Really?" He looked at her and was impressed. "I never would have pegged you for a sailor."

Shaking her head Charlotte laughed, "No, not a sailor. I don't know anything about sailboats, but my dad's big twenty eight foot outboard I can handle."

"I'll have to teach you then." The fact that Charlotte Scott knew about boats had him smiling.

Charlotte looked up, "Yeah, I think you will."

They walked out on the bow and watched the sun fall behind the horizon. Graham could have stayed out there all night. The breeze along the water picked up and it felt like the temperature dropped ten degrees. Charlotte was leaning on the rail and she felt Graham leaned into her. He felt her shivers and bent down to her ear. "Wanna head back?"

The breeze had become pretty chilly so she nodded, "That's fine."

She turned around to face him and they were inches apart. His green eyes had tiny specs of gold and Charlotte could see a small scar on his chin. Graham inhaled deeply as she bit her bottom lip. He was stalling but the cold wind against his back made him smile, "I think I'm blocking some of the breeze."

Charlotte nodded, "Mmm-huh." His tall, well built frame was definitely helping shade her from it.

He leaned in closer and whispered in her ear, "Thanks for coming out here with me."

Looking up into his eyes she shyly smiled, "Yeah."

Then Charlotte felt his lips on hers and for a minute she was happy that she was leaning against the railing of the boat. Otherwise she probably would have fallen over. Her knees felt weak and she was pretty sure that her arms clutching to rail were what was keeping her up right.

Her lips were soft and warm and Graham hadn't expected to kiss her, but he couldn't help it. But all the while he realized that when he kissed her, she kissed him back.

He smiled when they parted because he saw a cute blush creep over her cheeks, "Hey."

Charlotte looked to him and could feel the fire in her cheeks, "Hi."

If someone asked Charlotte Scott if she'd ever kiss a boy on the first date she'd say no. Absolutely not. But she just did. Graham kissed her and not only did she let him, she kissed him right back. Maybe it was Sawyer's words that were spinning in her head, but either way she started to feel something for that Coast Guard boy that she'd never felt before.

**OTHOTH**

Graham pulled up to the house and got out to walk Charlotte to the door. They stayed quiet and when they approached the door she turned to him.

"I had a really nice time."

He nodded, "Me too."

Leaning down her placed a sweet kiss on her cheek, "Night, Charlotte."

"Goodnight, Graham." She saw him smile once more and then he walked off of the porch. Opening the front door she slowly walked in and then leaned back on the door and rested her head against the wall.

Sawyer walked from the kitchen and widened her eyes, "Whoa? What happened to you?"

Charlotte smiled and laughed, "You were right."

"Right about what?"

Charlotte plopped her purse down on the kitchen counter, "Right about guys and white Chevy Tahoes. Graham's a really good guy."

Sawyer smiled at herself. She knew she was right. It was a gift she had. Sawyer took a moment to pat herself on the back then realized Charlotte was still in a daze. "Did you kiss him? You kissed him, didn't you? You totally did!"

"Yeah, we were on the boat."

"Charlotte and the Coastie sitting on a boat. K. I. S. S. I. N. G. First comes..."

The younger Scott shook her head, "Don't ruin it Saw."

"What? I'm just saying." Sawyer folded her arms and smirked, "So when do I get to meet him."

"I don't know. We were talking about how much we both liked the beach so maybe we'll go to the beach next weekend?"

"Will he bring his hot Coastie friends?"

Charlotte laughed, "Probably."

"I'm in. Sign me up. I'm in." Sawyer laughed and then her tone turned more serious. "You like him don't you?"

"I do." Charlotte couldn't hide the smile that crept out of her mouth. "I really do." She looked to Sawyer worried, "Is that bad? It's only the first date."

Sawyer waved it off, "Nah, I think it's cute."

"Yeah?"

"Totally. And besides, the guy wears a uniform. What more could you ask for?"

Charlotte leaned on the counter and wondered about Sawyer's rhetorical question. He was nice, he was charming, he was kind, he had a good heart, he wasn't bad to look at, and he seemed to think the same about her. As of right now, there really was nothing more she could ask for.

Charlotte Scott had met a boy named Graham McFarland and their story had just begun.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. That was the first date. What did you think? What's gonna happen next? I'd love to get some feedback so please let me know what you thought about the chapter or what you want to see next. I'll really appreciate it!**

**To those of you I couldn't respond back to:**

**Joan: I'm so happy you liked the first chapter. I hope you liked how their first date went. **

**BDavis: I'm so thrilled that you like Charlotte so much and I really hope you like how this story plays out. The Sawyer and Charlotte relationship is really important so expect a lot of them throughout. Thanks again for the support!**

**SJ: I more than likely will include some sort of tragedy in this story. What happens? I know, but I'll keep it a secret for now. Will there be character deaths? Yes. Will I make my readers cry? I don't know, maybe. Just know that the scenario you are looking for will (in some shape) come into the story and be a huge turning point. **

***_Please_ review guys.  
**


	3. Parlez Vous Francias, Poseidon?

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 3: Parlez-Vous Francais, Poseidon?**

**Disclaimer: Sawyer, Nathan, Haley, Jamie, Brooke, Julian, Lucas, and Peyton and any other OTH alums that might pop up here all belong to Mark and co. Who knows...maybe they'll name the new Scott baby Charlotte, but until then...she's my character, lol. Just give me credit for my ideas. Hope you like them.**

**A/N: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter guys. I was really happy that you all liked chapter two. This one picks up the following weekend. And since I'm skipping ahead...you all can use your imagination about what happened over that week I left out. Some of it may be mentioned but if not, just make up your own little idea of what happened. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

It had been one week since they'd met and had their first date, one week since they'd first kissed. And over that week, Charlotte Scott found that Graham McFarland wasn't just some guy. He was kind, and sweet, and passionate about what he did. Aside from kissing her on the first date, he was a gentleman. Sawyer had been right when she pegged him for a good guy. So it had been one week, and that meant the weekend was upon the Tree Hillers. Charlotte and Graham had talked about going to the beach and that was exactly what they were going to do.

Charlotte was trying to figure out which bathing suit to wear and she couldn't decide. "Sawyer. Come here!"

The lanky blonde walked into the younger Scott's room and arched her brow, "Whatcha need?"

"Help. I need help." Charlotte looked at the three bathing suits she had picked out and shrugged, "Which one?"

Walking toward her cousin, Sawyer immediately shook her head when she saw the brown tankini. "Ew no. Charlotte, tankinis are for moms or fat people. You are neither."

Noticing how rude Sawyer comment was, Charlotte's mouth fell open, "Sawyer! That's not nice."

"It's the truth." Sawyer wasn't really concerned with what came out of her mouth. She looked at the other two bathing suits. One was on the cutsey side, green with white polka dots and the other was a simple navy. "What's Graham's favorite color?"

Charlotte tried to think if she'd asked him that. "I don't know. Probably blue or green." She laughed because her two options were those colors.

Sawyer narrowed her eyes and put one hand on her hip. "I think the green one is kinda young looking. Like too junior high."

"Okay, so the navy?" Charlotte rolled her eyes at Sawyer, she just always had the nicest way of saying things.

Nodding at the bathing suit, Sawyer's face lit up. "And that's his color right? I mean like the Coast Guard's?"

Charlotte laughed out loud. "That would be the Navy you idiot. The Coast Guard's colors are white, orange, and blue." If she was really being precise. The Navy's colors were blue and gold, but she could leave that part out.

"Oh." Sawyer hated to be wrong. "Whatever. I'm gonna change and then you'll be ready, right?"

"Yeah."

Charlotte watched Sawyer walk out of her room and started to get changed. She was nervous though. Wearing a bikini was practically the same as wearing underwear and she'd only known Graham a little while. The thought of having him see her in a bathing suit made her blush. The one she picked out was a classy bathing suit though. Charlotte Scott didn't do skimpy and she didn't do anything her mother wouldn't approve of, most of the time.

She quickly changed into her suit and pulled out her white V-neck dress cover-up. Throwing it over her head she slipped her hands through the holes and looked at herself in the mirror. "Okay, no big deal." She shook her hands and laughed at herself. Charlotte had no idea why she was getting so anxious.

"Charlotte come on! Let's go." Sawyer's voice rang through their small house and Charlotte picked up her oversized bag.

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Charlotte walked out of her bedroom and saw that Sawyer had on an oversized t-shirt as her cover-up paired with ratty jean shorts. Sawyer saw that look on Charlotte's face and shook her head, "What?"

"Nothing."

Sawyer wasn't done pressing, "Yes-huh. What?"

Shrugging, Charlotte laughed, "It's just...don't you want to look a little more cute?"

Her mouth hung open and Sawyer huffed, "Ugh, what? This isn't cute?"

"It's alright, but there will be lots of Coasties and who knows, maybe you'll snag yourself one. An old U2 shirt isn't exactly..."

"Fine, whatever." Sawyer dropped her bag and stomped to her room only to return a minute later with an olive green tank top to go with her jean shorts. "I'm not changing again so I don't want to hear it if you don't like it."

Charlotte laughed, "You look great." Sawyer did. She had the body of a supermodel. She was un-fairly skinny and tall, and could pull off almost any look. Sawyer was lacking in the boob department though, but it wasn't her fault, she blamed her mom all the time.

Picking up her bag, Sawyer threw it over her shoulder and dug around for her keys. "We're taking my car."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte knew better than to argue.

Assuming that Charlotte was gonna say something, Sawyer went ahead and made her case. "It's a convertible. It's cute. It's fun. It's flirty. All things needed to go to the beach. Don't say no."

Laughing, Charlotte put her hands up. "I didn't say anything."

The brunette followed the blonde out to Sawyer's sea blue Karmann Ghia and hopped in the passenger seat. Sawyer cranked the engine and had to make sure the appropriate music was blaring through the speakers before she pulled off the curb. "Where are we headed? Which beach access?"

"He said to park by the Johnny Mercer and then to walk to the left and to look for the volleyball net."

Sawyer nodded and drove off toward the beach. She was actually pretty excited about their little outing. She'd met Graham on a couple of occasions when he'd come to pick Charlotte up, but nothing more than a smile and simple hello. This time she was gonna get to spend a decent amount of time with him and make up her own ideas about the boy her best friend was crazy about.

**OTHOTH**

The left side of Graham's body was covered in sand. Literally. His leg, his red bathing suit, his side, arm, and even his chin. But that's what happens when you dive for the ball and miss terribly. For the last twenty minutes Graham and Ben, and Drew and Trevor had been duking it out on the volleyball court and so far, not so good.

"Ben! You gotta dig for those man." Graham got up and dusted himself off. They were down by seven points and if things didn't start to change they were gonna loose miserably.

Ben shook his head and held his hand out, "I'm trying, Graham."

It was their serve and Graham walked behind the line. He took a deep breath and smashed the ball toward his fellow Coasties. The white ball sailed through the air and landed firmly on the sand next to Drew.

Graham threw his hands up and nodded, "Ace!"

Trevor rolled his eyes, "Lucky!"

Graham was feeling it now, "Oh no, it's not luck. It's skill."

Ben laughed as he tossed the ball to his friend. "Got another one of those in you?"

Nodding, Graham caught the ball and served again. "Ace! Yes!" He walked to Ben and gave him a sandy high five.

The boys continued to battle it out and after a hard fight, Graham and Ben won the game. But it wasn't over. It was tied up. Drew and Trevor had won the first game and now it was all square. It was the best of three and the next game was what really mattered. Before they got game three underway, the teams of two took a little time-out to strategize and talk things over.

Ben didn't need to strategize, there wasn't much to it. Hit the ball over the net. He was more interested in the girls. "When are they getting here, again?"

Graham looked down at his watch and shrugged, "Soon."

Ben hadn't met Charlotte yet and was eager too, but he was a little more interested in meeting the blonde friend she was bringing along. From what Graham had said, this girl was pretty, seemed nice, and was single. All things Ben liked. "And her friend, you said she's pretty, right"

Laughing, Graham nodded, "Yeah, she is. I've only seen her a couple times but she's pretty."

Sawyer was pretty but she had nothing on Charlotte. Charlotte had that girl next door look but could easily be the most beautiful woman in the room without knowing it. And that was the thing, Charlotte didn't even know she was. She was simple and smart, and funny. She cared about a lot of things and had a big heart. Charlotte was kind. Her brown eyes, hair, button nose, that smirk, and her great figure were things that Graham appreciated, but they didn't overshadow her personality.

Ben and Graham took their places on the court and saw Trevor point to something behind them. "Damn."

Graham turned his head and saw her. She was wearing a white dress and big sunglasses. He wanted to go hit Trevor for pointing at Charlotte like that but he didn't want to cause a scene.

"Shit." Ben saw the two girls walking close and shook his head.

"You too? Come on man, have some manners." Graham looked at Ben with a raised brow.

"No, it's not that." He scratched the dark blonde hair on his head and laughed, "I mean they are both gorgeous but that's not it." Ben looked at Graham and sighed, "Does the blonde drive an old convertible?"

Graham nodded, "Yeah, why?"

"Dammit!" Ben hung his shoulders, "Charlotte just had to be friends with her, huh?" Ben knew that Charlotte was the brunette approaching, and he realized he'd already had a run in with those girls. It was a week ago.

"What is the problem?" Graham was in the dark as to why Ben was agitated.

Taking a deep breath, Ben huffed, "That blonde is the girl who threw orange juice all over me at the Diligence Dash."

Laughing out loud, Graham looked at Charlotte and Sawyer, "You're kidding."

"No. I don't think I am." As the girls got closer Ben shook his head, "Nope, it definitely was her."

Graham yelled over his shoulder that they'd pick the game back up in a little while and started walking to Charlotte. He was smiling at her and she smiled right back.

"Whoa, ab alert." Sawyer's eyes went wide under her sunglasses as she got a look at the guy's stomachs.

Charlotte didn't reply but kept her eyes on Graham. She never doubted that he would look good in a bathing suit, but that boy and his body was something else. His red bathing suit hung on his hips and she could see that he had an incredible cut line. But it wasn't like he was some beef cake. Graham had an ideal amount of muscle. Charlotte could feel her cheeks roasting as she looked at him and was thankful that she could blame the pulsing summer sun for her sudden pigment change. Charlotte couldn't help it though. Graham was in incredible shape.

She set her bag down as they came together and Charlotte gave him a cute smile. "Hi."

"Hey." He looked at Sawyer and smiled, "Hey, Sawyer."

Sawyer lifted her sunglasses, "Hey, Graham."

Graham saw Ben slowly walking up behind him. He turned to Charlotte and used his thumb to point at the guy walking toward them. "That's Ben."

Ben stood next to Graham and realized that any and everything Graham had said to him about Charlotte hadn't done her justice. She was beautiful. He looked at her and smiled, "So you're the girl who's keeping my buddy from our poker nights?"

"I...am I?" Charlotte winced. She didn't want to be _that_ girl. The one who takes up all the guy's free time.

Graham realized that Charlotte was worried. "No, he's kidding. We don't even do poker night." Sawyer laughed out loud and Charlotte took an easy breath as she realized Ben was just kidding.

Ben looked at Sawyer and extended his hand. "It's O.J., right?"

Sawyer shook her head and put her hand in his, "Sawyer."

Nodding, Ben laughed, "Yeah, O.J."

Was this guy Graham's _funny_ friend? "What, no. It's Saw-yer." She was careful to draw out the two syllables so he would understand.

Charlotte was confused by what was going on and Graham was laughing. The brown eyed girl looked up to her green eyed Coastie and shook her head, "O.J.?"

Graham nodded, "Apparently, the two have met before."

Ben dropped Sawyer's hand, "No, we haven't met, but we've been acquainted."

"I'm sorry you have me confused with someone else." Sawyer didn't understand why this guy was calling her O.J and said that they'd been acquainted.

"I don't think I do." Ben laughed and shook his head. "Uh, you, and I'm guessing Charlotte, drove by a group of guys before the Diligence Dash last weekend and you decided to throw your orange juice. At them."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "Oh my God, that was you? She hit you?"

Sawyer was just standing there not knowing what to say.

Ben patted his stomach and nodded, "Right here." Ben looked behind him to Trevor, "That guy was the ass who whistled, not me."

Charlotte looked to Sawyer to see if she had a response. She didn't so Charlotte made one up. "Um, she has bad aim."

Raising her eyebrow, Sawyer shook her head, "Actually, I have really _good_ aim. But I wasn't aiming at anyone then. You just happened to be on the receiving end of my juice."

Ben laughed sarcastically, "Well thanks a lot."

Sawyer nodded, "Sure, no problem."

Charlotte wasn't exactly seeing their meet and greet as going well, so she bumped into Sawyer's side and gave her a warning look. She turned to Graham and looked past him to the volleyball net. "It looked like you two were about to play?"

Graham looked at her and shook his head, "I told them we could finish it later..."

"No, go ahead. We don't mind." It was something of an old habit for both Charlotte and Sawyer watching sporting events from the sideline. They had both cheered in high school.

Charlotte all but pulled Sawyer over to the side of the court and got themselves a nice spot.

Sawyer turned her upper lip up at Charlotte, "Ow, what was that for?"

"Be nice." Charlotte's big brown eyes were now like saucers. "Please."

"I am." Sawyer furrowed her brow.

"No, you're being...you're in bitchy sarcastic mode, and if you don't play nice I'll take you home." At this point Charlotte was laughing. "Just...I like his guy." She looked at Graham and smiled as he served the ball across the net. "And it would be great if you got along with his friends."

"Okay, Mom." It had been a long running joke that Sawyer called Charlotte 'Mom' every once in a while. Charlotte was the mature one, the organized one, the one who could cook. It was an appropriate nickname though. Charlotte loved kids. She planned on having lots.

Charlotte watched Graham dive for a ball and she felt her heart race increase. If just watching him play a simple game of volleyball sped up her heartbeat then there was no way to describe the feeling she got when they were next to each other.

"Hey? Earth to Charlotte?" Sawyer looked down and snapped at her cousin. She waved the sunscreen in front of Charlotte's face. "Get my back please."

The younger brunette had been so preoccupied by watching the game she hadn't even realized that Sawyer had gotten up, taken off her shorts and tank, and covered the majority of her body with sunscreen. Charlotte stood up and put a heavy coat of white lotion on Sawyer's back.

"Want me to get you?" Sawyer turned around and raised her brow.

Cutting her eyes toward the court, Charlotte didn't know. She still had her cover up on and was hesitating. Graham's back was to her so it wasn't like he was paying any attention. She just needed to man up and do it. It wasn't a big deal.

"He's not looking, you dork." Sawyer laughed and started to reach for the hem of Charlotte's dress.

Scooting away from Sawyer, Charlotte huffed, "Okay." She looked once more toward the boys and sighed. Pulling the dress over her head she knew she was gonna have to get over herself. She was acting childish.

Ben was about to serve but realized that Trevor and Drew weren't paying attention. He looked where they were looking and saw Sawyer putting sunscreen on Charlotte. Graham was in ready position facing the net and hollered behind him, "Serve it up." Nothing happened and he looked backwards. Graham saw that Ben was staring and so where the other guys, and they were staring at Charlotte.

He found himself in the same position they were in; staring. She was wearing a navy bikini and her lightly tanned skin was the perfect shade. He took a breath and glanced at Ben. He knew better than to be staring at Charlotte so maybe he was staring at Sawyer. She looked good in her black bikini but Graham was interested in the one sporting a shade of his favorite color, blue. Walking toward Ben he picked up the ball and whacked him upside the head. "Hey."

Ben raised his hand to his head and winced. "I...I wasn't..."

"Let's just play." Graham took the ball and threw it at Drew. It hit him square on the chest and caused him to grunt.

"Ow, Graham!" Drew picked up the ball and rubbed his chest. "That hurt."

Graham walked to the net and looked at Drew and Trevor sternly, "Quit your gawking and let's play."

Ben started to laugh at Graham and caught the ball back from Drew. It was his serve. Before hitting it, one more time Ben looked behind him and saw the tall blonde. He'd been looking at her. Sawyer's snarky attitude and personality were annoying but also intriguing. He wasn't going to say anything though. She seemed to be one of those hard to get girls, one who put up a fight, so it probably wasn't worth it.

"Ben!" Graham looked to his buddy and tilted his head, "Come on." And as Ben had done, Graham found his eyes on Charlotte. He couldn't help it. She was beautiful.

Sawyer sat down and waited for Charlotte to sit next to her. Laughing, Sawyer leaned into Charlotte, "He's looking at you."

That really did it. Charlotte's cheeks turned more red that she new possible and she put her face in her hands, "Stop it."

Sawyer laughed, "I didn't do anything. That was between you and him. I saw the way he was looking."

"Sawyer!" Charlotte didn't want to get any more embarrassed than she was. Sawyer was just making it worse. And it wasn't between she and him, Charlotte hadn't even locked eyes with Graham yet.

"I'm just saying." Shrugging, Sawyer let out a laugh.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte rolled her eyes at herself. She didn't know why he made her so red. Well, she did, but her natural blush had never been more apparent than when she was around him. Most of the time she tried to cover it up, but what he didn't know was that Graham loved it.

The girls watched the game and when the ball rolled to their feet out of bounds, Charlotte picked it up. Graham walked over and laughed, "I'm embarrassing myself, right."

"No, you're not bad." Charlotte politely shook her head even though his last four hits had gone out of bounds.

"I think you're saying that just to be nice." Graham smirked and lifted his brow.

"Well, you've had a couple bad hits but it's not embarrassing."

She couldn't be more adorable if she tried. "I was thinking after the game we could go up to the pier and get some lunch, if you want?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled, "That'd be great."

Graham walked back to the court and Charlotte continued to watch the game. There was an ease she felt whenever they talked, and Charlotte wondered if it was part of the newness of their relationship or if it was something that would be long term. Maybe it was both, but either way she was eager to find out.

**OTHOTH**

They hadn't gotten to spend a whole lot of time by themselves, so when the game was over Graham was more than happy to make a lunch run with Charlotte. They were gonna get a handful of hamburgers and hot dogs for the group.

Charlotte put her cover-up back on and while she was trying to put her arms through the holes Sawyer walked to her. "Don't leave me alone with them." She looked at Drew, Trevor, and Ben.

Laughing, Charlotte shrugged, "Saw, you'll be fine. We're just gonna be gone for a little while."

Sawyer looked over to the guys and sighed, "Fine, but be sure and get..."

"Extra mustard, I know. Got it." Charlotte nudged Sawyer with her elbow, "They are all nice guys...minus Trevor, but Ben's nice. He'll keep you company." Sawyer looked at the guys and rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Don't forget my mustard."

Laughing, Charlotte smiled, "I won't."

"Ready?" Graham had thrown a shirt on and looked at Charlotte.

"Yeah." She walked to him and they made their way toward the pier.

Graham turned to her as they walked, "Wanna go down by the water. The harder the sand, the easier it is to walk." Charlotte nodded and he took her hand in his.

When the cool water washed over her feet she was pleasantly surprised that it wasn't freezing. He was on the lower side and she was looking at his right shoulder. "When did you get that?"

Graham turned his arm and looked at the tattoo she was referring to. "After a drunken stupor the night we all graduated from the academy." Charlotte used her finger to trace the edges of the compass rose. It wasn't gaudy or ugly, it could have been a lot worse but it seemed fitting. "I was actually lucky to not come out with something awful."

"That drunk, huh?" Charlotte smiled and arched her brow.

"Drunk, yes, but not wasted enough to get a seahorse." Graham laughed. "Ben didn't even know what was going on. He just pointed to something and told the guy that he'd pay him extra if it didn't hurt too much."

Charlotte looked back to their group and laughed, "You're kidding, Ben got a seahorse?"

"Yup. When we get back look at his left ankle. It's down their somewhere." He looked at Charlotte and studied her. "You don't seem like the tattoo kind of girl."

She shook her head, "I'm not. I almost got one in high school but my mom had a fit about it."

"Really? What did you want to get?" Graham tired to figure it out as they walked along the shore but couldn't decide.

Charlotte looked away embarrassed, "It seems kinda dumb now but I took French in high school, and I thought 'I regret nothing' in French would be cool to have on my wrist. Small. Really small, but I never got it."

Graham was interested in what she said. "And how does that sound in French?"

Laughing, Charlotte shrugged, "I'm a little rusty, but...Je ne regrette rien."

"It sounds nice." He looked at her and then looked at her wrist, "Do you regret not getting it?"

"No. I think it was a spur of the moment kind of thing. I didn't need it. I think a part of me just wanted to piss my mom off." Charlotte laughed. "I don't know."

Graham smiled. "Say something else, in French I mean."

Charlotte looked up to him and studied his face for a moment. "Vous avez de beaux veux verts et moi meme comme cette cicatrice sur votre menton."

He didn't speak French so he had absolutely no idea what she'd said, "What did that mean." Charlotte kept quiet and only shrugged her shoulders. "Oh, come on. You don't want to tell me?"

Letting out a small laugh, she shook her head. "What about you Graham? Do you speak any foreign languages?"

It had been awhile since he'd taken a Spanish class but one thing stuck out, "Yo quiero Taco Bell."

Charlotte started laughing, "I want Taco Bell." She laughed again and shook her head.

Graham was surprised she understood what he'd said, "So you know Spanish and French? Is that some Ivy League thing?"

She laughed again, "No. I was a bit of an over-achiever in high school."

"Gah, you're gonna make me look bad. I only took Spanish back then and the one thing I can remember is an old Taco Bell slogan." He laughed at himself.

"Sorry." Charlotte gave him an apologetic look.

Graham shook his head. She didn't need to be sorry. He loved that she was so smart. Charlotte could probably teach him a thing or two. He looked down at the sand and turned to her, "You know the story about the tides?"

"Nope." Charlotte wasn't very informed on all things nautical and was more than happy to hear the story from Graham.

"Legend has it..." He paused to give her a smile. Things always sounded so official in a non-official way when stories began with 'legend has it. "...that Poseidon wanted to lose weight."

"What?" Charlotte started to laugh.

"Yeah. So he wanted to loose weight and the only exercise he liked doing were arm circles. But Poseidon was a lazy guy. He only did them in each direction twice a day, meaning he went forwards twice and did backwards rotations twice." Graham held out his arms and started rolling his arms backwards. "So he'd do this for a little while but what ended up happening was that his strength was so enormous that the tide started to come back. He didn't know it was happening, but it was like he was reeling the tide in. So after he took a long break he decided to do it the opposite way." Graham rotated his arms in a frontward motion and nodded, "And this time the tide came up higher on shore, like he was pushing the water back."

"Explaining why there's a high and low tide?" Charlotte was getting how it all related.

"Right." Graham put his hands by his sides and nodded.

Charlotte looked at Graham and out to the ocean "I've never heard that one before."

Graham shrugged, "Learn something new everyday."

"Oui vous faites." Charlotte let a little French slip back into the conversation. She laughed and he looked at her all confused so she translated. "Yes you do."

Graham nodded and tried to repeat what she had said. It didn't work at all and came out sounding like "We voo fat-es". He winced after he said it, "I'll stick to English."

She didn't want to laugh, but French was definitely not his thing.

They made it too the pier and headed inside. Graham ordered six hot dogs and two hamburgers while Charlotte made sure to grab extra packets of mustard and got some relish and ketchup for herself and the rest of the guys. It didn't take long for the food to come and after Graham paid he found Charlotte at the condiment table.

"Getting enough there?" His eyes widened at the amount she had.

Charlotte turned around at the sound of his voice, "Sawyer really likes mustard and I didn't know what the guys would want."

"I think you got it covered" Graham laughed at the amount of stuff in her hands, "Here. Drop them in here." He held open the bag for her.

Graham walked toward the exit and held the door open for her as she walked by. He couldn't help but noticed the way her hips swayed, how she gently ran her fingertips down the rail of the steps, and that she skipped the last one and jumped into the sand.

He was standing at the top amused when she looked up to him with a playful smile. "You coming?"

He nodded. Joining Charlotte on the sand, they made their way back to their group of friends talking about random things. She found out that his favorite color was blue, and he learned that the best hot dog on the planet came from the Time Warner Cable Arena. They both stopped to pet a beagle that was walking with it's owner, and when Charlotte's earring dropped in the sand they took five minutes of searching until she found it.

As they made their way back to the group Charlotte was laughing at something Graham had said and Sawyer got up. "Food! Tell me you got extra mustard?"

Graham nodded and smiled, "She got plenty."

He passed out everyone's food while Ben handed everyone a beer. Sawyer was extra appreciative of the beer and raised her bottle, "Gracias." Charlotte and Graham started to laugh as they both thought about their bilingual conversation to the pier. Sawyer looked at Charlotte funny but realized it must have been some sort of inside joke or something.

Lunch had been nice. They all chit-chatted and most of the guys had lots of questions for Charlotte. They thought it was pretty kick ass that her dad was Nathan Scott. _The_ Nathan Scott that played for the Bobcats.

Charlotte took the last bite of her hot dog and brushed her hands off. She fell back on her towel and sighed, "That was good."

Sawyer did the same thing and put her hands on her bloated stomach, "I ate too fast."

Ben laughed at the girls and got up, "I'm guessing you two won't be joining us?"

Charlotte lifted up and and furrowed her brow. Trevor and Drew had already taken off towards the water. "Shouldn't you wait ten minutes or something?"

"That's an old wives tale, Charlotte." Graham put his trash away and held his hand out for her. "The water's warm."

Shaking her head, Charlotte declined his offer, "Maybe later."

Ben got up and started running to the water and they all watched him dive into the breaking waves. Graham gave Charlotte one more smile before he headed to his friends. And before they knew it, the girls were watching him dive into the surf.

Sawyer saw Charlotte lay back on her towel and shook her head. "You don't have to worry about them. They are in the Coast Guard for crying out loud."

She knew that. Charlotte knew that he was a good swimmer, that they all were. She wasn't worried about that. The feeling in her stomach was more along the lines of butterflies, not worry warts. Graham really had her hooked and she was realizing just how much she cared.

**OTHOTH**

It was getting close to five o'clock and people were starting to head out. Drew and Trevor left first and Sawyer was about ready to get home and rinse the sand out of her bathing suit. She looked to the water and saw that Charlotte and Graham were sitting close to the ocean. There was no way she could deny the fact that they made a ridiculously good looking couple.

But it was about that time and Sawyer was ready to head home. She made her way over to the duo and used her foot to tap on Charlotte's side. "Hate to break up the romance, but you think we can head home soon?"

Charlotte looked at Graham and before she could say yes to Sawyer, Ben walked up to them.

"I'll ride back with Sawyer if you two want to stay." He nodded down at Graham and Charlotte and then looked to Sawyer, "If that's okay with you."

A part of Sawyer wanted to say no, 'Hell no, strangers don't ride in my car!', but there was something about Ben she was kind of, sort of, not gonna tell anyone...interested in. "Sure that's fine."

Never in a million years would Charlotte have thought that Sawyer would have agreed to that. Not just anybody got to ride in her car. Maybe she felt bad for hitting him with the orange juice last week? Maybe it was a guilt ridden answer? She turned to her friend and mouthed 'thank you.'

Sawyer wasn't going to be subtle and mouth a 'you're welcome' back. "Sure, now you and Graham can sit and make out like lovesick teenagers."

Charlotte turned beet red and smacked Sawyer's leg. Graham didn't know how to react, he liked Sawyer's honesty. Would there be making out? Maybe. One kiss? At least. But if none of that happened it would be fine. Graham just wanted to spend a little more time with Charlotte.

Ben and Sawyer walked away leaving a super embarrassed Charlotte and smiling Graham to watch the waves break. Charlotte's brown eyes met his green and she laughed, "Sorry about that. Sawyer doesn't really think before she speaks."

"Yeah, I've noticed that." Graham traced his finger in the wet sand and looked at her. The sun was behind them, making their faces dark but he realized that he'd seen her enough times to remember what it looked like.

She looked at him and those green eyes of his. She bit her lip and smiled. "You have beautiful green eyes and I even like that scar on your chin. That's what I said. Vous avez de beaux veux verts et moi meme comme cette cicatrice sur votre menton. That's what it meant."

"Seven stitches." Smiling, Graham raised his hand to his chin. "You like this thing?"

Charlotte didn't know why, but she did. "What happened?"

Laughing, Graham looked out to sea. "I was nine and thought I was invincible. There was this tree in my backyard that my brother and I would climb, and I told him I could go two branches higher than he had ever been. So I climbed up there and had a proud moment of success until I lost my balance."

Wincing, Charlotte imagined how it happened.

"And along the way down, I nicked my chin on a branch and when I landed I wasn't hurt too bad but Crawford fainted because of the blood."

"Oh no." Charlotte covered her mouth.

He nodded, "Yeah so my mom comes out to find both her boys in a mess. I'm on the ground with a bloody chin and my brother isn't moving. She was hysterical."

"I bet." Water washed up and the cool temperature made her yelp. It was unexpected.

Graham put his hands down in the water and smiled, "High tide." He laughed and looked at her, "That story about Poseidon..."

"I know." Charlotte knew he had made the whole thing up, but she loved it. He'd been so enthusiastic about it and was a really good storyteller. "Tell me another."

He was surprised that she hadn't been mad that he fabricated a little story, but with his charm and personality he could do it. "Heard the one about sand dollars?"

"Nope." Smiling, Charlotte leaned against his arm and listened to him.

It had been a good day. A great day. With each outing, they learned more and more about each other, and both of them were starting to realize that they were more than comfortable with one another. They didn't need to pretend to be people they weren't. Graham understood that her family was famous and Charlotte knew that his wasn't. He'd found out that she was bilingual, and she learned that Graham was a good storyteller. That wasn't all of it though. Add that to the rest of the things they'd learned over the last week and it only left them wanting more.

**OTHOTH**

**A/N: So there was chapter 3. Love it? Hate it? So first, I'd like to say that I have no idea if any of that French stuff made sense. I don't speak or know French so if it's totally wrong...just go with me people. Blame the internet translator if it's wrong. Do any of you have request for next chapter? I've got an idea but if there is something you want to see you know I'll try and work it in somehow.**

**My reviewers are awesome and are the reason I continue! Thank you for the amazing feedback! To those of you I can't respond to:**

**MagicalNaley23: I know you wanted to see them on the beach so how was that? Did it meet your expectations? I'm so glad you liked the first two chapters and I hope you liked this one as well. Thank you for your feedback.**

**Always and Forever: Thank you so much for the review! To answer your question: no I'm not majoring in journalism, lol. I'm a history and education major. I know nothing formal about writing or anything like that. I appreciate the kind words!**

**Joan: I'll try and get Graham in his uniform soon. I know that's a plus with some of my readers. Thanks for the review!**

**BDavis: I'm really happy that you like how everything is going so far: Charlotte, Graham, Sawyer, the story. I hope you liked the new chapter. I appreciate the feedback!**

***Please review guys! It will encourage me to get the next chapter out sooner than later. **


	4. Counting to 100

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 4: Counting to 100  
**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own the characters from One Tree Hill.**

**A/N: The feedback was amazing for last chapter and I really, really appreciate the reviews guys. Keep it up! I would have updated sooner but I went out of town for the Fourth for a week without internet, so posting this chapter was delayed. I hope you all like this one as much as you've been liking the rest! Enjoy!**

**Oh, and if you read Jamie's spin off or Little Moments...I'm gonna try and get those chapters done soon!**

**OTHOTH**

With her bag slung around her shoulder, Charlotte walked outside to her car expecting a fun day. Graham was taking her out on his boat. One of them. She knew he had two boats. A sailboat and a wooden utility, and she didn't exactly know which one they were going out in. Charlotte didn't care though. Either was just fine.

They'd been seeing each other for almost a month and so far so good. He was funny, and made her laugh harder than Sawyer did. And that was a feat in and of itself. Graham was also smart. Not in the Ivy League, obvious intelligence that Charlotte had kind of way, but smart enough to know that he'd met a really good girl. Smart enough to know that he'd be dumb to screw things up.

After their first kiss on their first date, things had been relatively slow, almost as if they didn't want to rush into everything and mess it up. He was kept busy with his Coast Guard duties during the week and Charlotte was getting ready for school to start. She'd gotten that job at Tree Hill High and was nervous and excited about her new position.

Graham had been really sweet about it. After she'd gotten the phone call and told her parents and brother, Graham was next on the list. Charlotte could have told Sawyer before him but didn't. For whatever reason, she felt like he needed to know. It wasn't like her job was taking her away or anything like that, it was actually just the opposite. It was a phone call made out of excitement, and when Charlotte had told him, he'd been equally excited for her. And the flowers he'd given her were somehow still alive sitting on her kitchen table. What color were they? The same color Charlotte had seen her father give her mother time after time. Purple. Purple flowers were her favorite, but it probably wasn't by choice. Of course it was, but it was more of a habitual thing. Haley liked purple flowers and had passed the love down to Charlotte.

Dropping her bag into the passenger seat, Charlotte smiled thinking about those flowers. It was such a simple gesture but meant so much.

Just as soon as Charlotte pulled out of the driveway, her phone started to ring. Thinking it may be Graham, she was smiling as she dug through her purse. It wasn't him but Charlotte was still happy at who was calling.

"Hey, Mom."

"Hi, Charlotte."

The younger Scott looked at the dash and saw that it was close to ten. Thinking her mom was going to start the day off talking about the newest baby Scott, Charlotte laughed, "Yes, she's adorable. I saw her yesterday."

Haley smiled. Charlotte was referring to Claire, her newest grandchild. "She really is a cute baby. Almost as cute as you were."

Charlotte rolled her eyes. All mom's had to say that. Say that no baby was as cute their own kids. "So? You headed over there to see her now?"

Shaking her head, Haley answered, "No. I was actually calling to see what you were up to. I thought we could take in a walk, and then maybe grab some lunch after that? Then maybe see Claire after a while?"

As much as Charlotte would have loved to exercise with her mom, grab a bite to eat, and then visit with her niece, she had other plans. "Oh Mom, I'd love too but I'm headed to the marina now." It was hard for Charlotte to poo poo her mom's plans but she was spending the day with Graham.

Through various phone calls, Haley had heard about the boy her daughter was seeing. He was sweet and cute, in the Coast Guard, and apparently was taking her out to sea. "That's okay. You and Graham go have fun, and we'll do it another time."

Charlotte hated that she was saying no thanks to her mom but she'd been eager about the boating trip all week. "How bout tomorrow?" Hoping her mom would say yes, Charlotte waited for her mother's response.

"Yeah, sure. Tomorrow then. And I expect that we'll be meeting that boy sometime soon?" Haley found herself smiling. She knew that Charlotte wasn't the type to rush into things, but from all she'd heard, Haley knew that Graham wasn't like the rest. And with knowing that much, she was eager to meet this guy her daughter gushed about.

"Yes, soon." Charlotte laughed because she'd been so hesitant for him to meet her parents when they were so eager to meet him. She sighed into the phone and talked about the next day. "Great, tomorrow. I'll call you later."

Haley could hear the annoyance in her daughter's voice and could practically see the eye roll Charlotte was probably giving her. She laughed and spoke one more time. "Have fun today. Love you."

Charlotte smiled. "Love you too, Mom. Bye." Haley said goodbye and Charlotte hung up the phone. She merged onto the busy four land street headed for the coast.

As the young woman drove, she couldn't help but wonder what the day would be like, what his boat might be like. Would they stay out till the sun went down? Would they anchor and swim a little? If they were taking the sailboat, how many times would the boom hit her in the head? There were thousands of other questions running through her mind as she drove toward the water.

It didn't take long. Dockside marina wasn't far from home. She parked in the parking lot and looked out toward the boats. Raising her hand to shield the sun, Charlotte saw him. He was in blue shorts and a green t-shirt. He was kneeling down by the ropes and she realized that they would be taking his sailboat. Picking up her bag and locking her car, Charlotte made her way toward the boat slip and smiled. It was going to be a fun day.

Graham was busy adjusting the ropes when he heard footsteps coming down the wooden planks. He looked up and saw her. She was wearing black shorts with an orange tank top. A little like Halloween but he loved it. She was beautiful.

Standing up, Graham dusted off his hands and smiled, "Got your sea legs, sailor?"

There was always something about him Charlotte loved whenever he talked to her like that. Whether it was nautical jargon or a cute grin coupled with a maritime question. It was the way he said it, and the way he smiled, the way it rolled off his tongue that made Charlotte bite her lip.

She laughed and walked closer. "I hope so. I think so." Charlotte had never been sailing so she might be awful. Fall overboard awful.

The hesitation in her voice was adorable. He wasn't worried for one second that she was gonna be floundering while they were sailing with the wind. Graham had a feeling she'd do just fine. "Here. Hop a board." He held out his hand and watched carefully as Charlotte got on the boat. "Let me take that." He pointed to her bag.

Charlotte looked at her bag that was packed full with various items. A towel, sunscreen, Chex Mix, extra sunscreen, a hat, and a little bit of this and that. "I didn't really know what I should bring." Laughing at herself for how heavy her bag was she didn't know if she was embarrassed or not.

Graham shrugged, "All this stuff? I think we'll be set to sail to the Gulf." He laughed along with the brown eyed girl and shook his head. "Nah, this is fine." He nodded, "And I've got a cooler in the cabin with drinks."

Curious about the cabin of his boat, Charlotte raised her eyebrows. "So whats in there anyway? Besides the cooler I mean."

Opening the small doors, he shrugged, "It's not much, but you can fit three in here if you need to. Ben and I can fit comfortably. It's on the small side but it works."

Looking into the cabin, Charlotte got a little nervous. Would they be in there later? She saw that there were three pillows stacked neatly in the corner and two blankets as well. Taking a breath, Charlotte smiled, "Looks cozy."

"Yeah, surprisingly it is. The whole bottom is padded so it's like one giant mattress. Well, with a post in the middle." He laughed again and shook his head, "But you learn to sleep around that." He smiled remembering the first time he'd slept on the boat.

"You take her out a lot?" Charlotte looked to him and then around the boat.

Nodding, Graham smiled, "I try to." He laughed and walked toward the back. "And it's a boy by the way? Banyan." He glanced down to the back of the boat and saw the letters across the back.

Surprised, Charlotte arched her brow, "Really? I thought most boats were girls, or took a feminine name?" She looked at the other boats near and frowned. Sweet Sophia was the boat directly across, Sue Elle was next to that, and For Elizabeth was next to that one.

Realizing that she had a point, Graham nodded, "Most of the time."

"But you didn't name yours for a girl?" Not that she wanted to hear some story of some ex flame, but normally boats were named for significant women.

Shaking his head, Graham laughed, "I didn't actually get to name him." He patted the teak, "The day I turned sixteen I went out and spent my life's savings on this guy. I figured I'd rather have a boat than a car. My sister could drive me to school." That was the truth. Graham would have rather been on the water than in a car. He chuckled thinking about it. "So I got this second hand and the name was already plastered on the back. I was too cheap to scrape it off."

"What does it mean?" Charlotte knew that banyan had to mean something.

Looking out to the blue green water he smiled, "It's an old Royal Navy term for a day or short period of rest and relaxation."

"Seems fitting." She thought about it, and realized that the sailboat was named exactly for what it was for. They would be taking a nice day trip full of rest and relaxation. "I guess if I was you, I wouldn't have wanted to change it anyway."

He nodded, "Yeah, naming a boat is like naming a kid. It's a big deal. He wasn't mine to name."

Charlotte turned to Graham, "What about your other one. Don't you have another boat?"

"Yeah but she's a work in progress. I figured I'll name her once she's completed."

Charlotte laughed, "So that one's a girl?"

"I think so." He grinned, "I don't know really. Once I settle on a name I'll let you know." He smiled and changed the subject, "If you're ready we can head out?"

"Sure, I'm ready." Charlotte stood up and held out her hands, "What do I need to untie?" He laughed at her enthusiasm but it was cut off by her cell phone. "Hold that thought." She checked her phone and answered. "Hello?" The icon that popped up had been 'Jamie Home' so she was expecting to hear her brother's voice.

"Charlotte? Hi. I was hoping you could do us a huge favor?"

It was Liza. Charlotte knew it was going to be incredibly hard to say no to whatever Liza needed. Her brother and sister in law were busy with a brand new baby and could use all the help they could get. "Hey, Liza. What's up?"

"I know this is last minute, but do you think you could watch Bennet for a few hours?"

The single idea of babysitting her adorable nephew was starting to impeded on her sailing plans. "I uh..." Charlotte looked around the boat and then to Graham.

He could tell that she was in some sort of predicament. "If you need to go that's fine."

Cupping her hand over the speaker so Liza couldn't hear the conversation, Charlotte looked at the green eyed Coastie. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

Her eyes softened and she mouthed a quick thank you. Speaking back into the phone, Charlotte responded to Liza. "Hey, yeah, I can do whatever. When do I need to watch him?"

Liza let out a sweet laugh, "Uh, can I bring him over to you now?"

Charlotte hadn't expected it to be that soon but she nodded, "Yeah, I'm fifteen minutes from home, but I'll be there then."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." Liza graciously thanked Charlotte again and the two Scott girls hung up.

Charlotte immediately looked at Graham, "I'm so sorry. I feel awful that I've got to bail on you. It's just that Bennet needs a babysitter and Jamie and Liza are super busy with the new baby and..."

He took a few steps closer to her and shook his head. He cut off her rambling with a smile. "Hey, it's okay. I get it." Graham sweetly placed a kiss on her cheek and stepped off the boat to help her out. "I'll call you later."

"Thank you." She placed her hand in his and didn't know if the 'thank you' was for letting her go or the help out of the boat. Charlotte pulled her keys out of her pocket and gave Graham one last look before she hurried toward her car.

He took a deep breath. It wasn't exactly the day he had planned, but he knew how important her family was. It was one of the things he liked about her. She'd drop whatever she was doing to help any of them out. It was just in her nature. As her figure started to disappear down the dock, Graham looked down the line of boats. He quickly realized that Charlotte was becoming a name he could get used to. One that could end up being on the back of a boat. Maybe his boat.

**OTHOTH**

It had been about twenty minutes since she'd left. He'd been sitting on the deck thinking of next weekend and how they'd go sailing then. He could call Ben and see what he was up to. Maybe he'd want to go out today, but for some reason, Graham thought he might be on a date. At least that's what Ben had alluded to yesterday. Whatever the circumstance, Graham didn't mind the quietness. He was still tied up at the marina looking out over the water and it was serene.

He could feel his face starting to burn with the afternoon sun and realized he needed to put on another coat of zinc oxide. Graham always kept an extra tube in the cabin. Opening the doors, he saw it. It wasn't his trusty sunscreen but her bag. The one they'd both laughed about, the one she'd been embarrassed by, and the one he couldn't help but smile at.

There was probably nothing in there that was a must have but she'd want it back. He picked it up and locked the cabin. Making sure he had everything he needed, Graham made sure the boat was tied up well and headed down the dock. As he started the car he drove off toward her house.

The drive didn't take too long but he'd manage to catch every single red light. That was always an annoyance.

Once he made it to the house he parked along side the curb and walked to the door. The doorbell was still broken so he knocked. Graham could hear footsteps and was surprised when he saw a blue eyed little boy open the door.

"Uh...it's Bennet, right?"

The boy was surprised that this stranger knew his name. Furrowing his brow, Bennet crossed his arms, "Who are you?"

The way the boy had poised the question almost made Graham laugh. He seemed so authoritative in his speech. "I'm Graham. I know your Aunt Charlotte. I was bringing her bag back." Graham held out Charlotte's bag with raised eyebrows.

Bennet reached for the bag and smiled. "Thanks." The five year old shut the door leaving Graham stunned.

"Aunt Charlotte. You left your bag!" Bennet sat down on the sofa and watched as his aunt came out of her bedroom.

"Who was at the door, bud?" She'd run to the restroom for all of thirty seconds and missed the commotion.

"Some guy. He brought your bag."

The young twentysomething caught sight of her bag and her eyes widened. It was the bag she'd packed for the sailing adventure she'd had to forgo. "Graham?"

Bennet shrugged, "I guess so."

Hurrying to the front door, Charlotte looked at her nephew, "Well, is he...you didn't let him in?"

"Mama and Daddy say I'm not allowed to let strangers in." Bennet had turned around and rested his chin on the top of the couch

Charlotte laughed. When she was five she was taught the same thing. She wasn't supposed to talk to strangers either. As she made it to the front door she opened it and was happy to see that Graham was still there.

He laughed and flashed her a smile, "Hey."

She smiled, "Hi."

"You left your bag on the boat and I thought..."

Charlotte felt someone at her side and then heard her nephew speak up. "You have a boat!"

Graham looked down to Charlotte's hip and saw the blue eyed boy. He nodded, "Yeah."

"Whoa! My grandpa's got a boat too. It's really cool." Bennet was getting excited.

The older guy nodded, "So I've heard."

Bennet was still wide eyed, "How do you know? Do you know my dad too? His name is James Lucas Scott."

Charlotte laughed and ran her hands over Bennet's hair, "Sorry, he asks lots of questions."

"That's okay." Graham laughed and saw that Charlotte motioned for him to come inside.

The three walked to the living room and Charlotte and Graham sat on the couch while Bennet sat across from them in a chair. It was like the older ones were about to be interrogated.

Bennet sat back in the chair and narrowed his eyes, "So how do you know about my grandpa's boat?"

Graham shook his head and looked at Charlotte, "I've just heard about it."

"What about your boat. What's it like?"

Charlotte leaned over to Graham and whispered, "He's going through a boat phase right now."

Nodding, Graham laughed and looked at the little boy. "Well I've got a sailboat that we were going to go out on today, and an old wooden inboard that I'm refurbishing."

Not knowing if Bennet knew what refurbishing meant, Charlotte spoke up, "Uh, he's fixing it up."

"That's cool. My dad fixed up his car. He's awesome." Bennet's smile was so wide that neither Charlotte or Graham could deny the size. That little boy was incredibly proud of his dad.

"Yeah most of my family has this weird thing with old cars." Charlotte laughed.

"That explains Sawyer's old Volkswagen."

Bennet's eyes grew wide again, "You know Sawyer too?"

Both Charlotte and Graham laughed. The boy's aunt nodded, "He does."

"Are you..." Bennet raised his little hand to his chin and furrowed his brow looking at Graham. "Are you my aunt's boyfriend?"

It wasn't something they'd talked about yet. Were they? Weren't they? Charlotte's cheeks turned pink and Graham smirked at the sight. He looked at her one more time and then to her nephew. "I am."

As soon as the words came out of his mouth, Charlotte looked at him and smiled. There it was. It was official. Graham McFarland was Charlotte Scott's boyfriend. She took a deep breath and thought about it. Charlotte couldn't help but smile.

"Oh." It wasn't that big of a deal to Bennet. He promptly changed the subject. "Guess what? I'm going into kindergarten this year!"

"Wow, that will be fun." Graham nodded, "Kindergarten is the best. You get to make all kinds of crafts and learn new things. You'll have a blast." Maybe he was being a little extra excited but that's how you were supposed to act around kids.

Charlotte took note of how great Graham had been with Bennet. She had a feeling he might be good with kids but seeing him with Bennet was evidence enough. "Guess what Graham does Bennet? He's in the Coast Guard. Sometimes he jumps out of helicopters to save people."

"Awesome!" Bennet was enamored by this Graham guy. "Really?"

Graham was not the kind of guy to brag about what he did. He didn't do it for the glory, he did it because he loved what he did. He simply nodded to the young boy. That was another something that Charlotte liked about Graham. He never boasted about the number of saves he'd had. Charlotte didn't even know that number.

Graham looked at the boy and smiled, "So you're a big brother now, right?"

"Uh-huh. I've got a baby sister. She cries a lot." Bennet grimaced making Charlotte and Graham laugh.

Charlotte smiled at her nephew, "All babies do that bud. They'll grow out of it."

Graham nodded, "It's pretty cool being a big brother though. You'll get to teach her how to do things and she's gonna look up to you." Graham had personal experience.

"Are you a big brother?" If Graham said yes, then Bennet was sure he'd found a new best friend.

"Yep, my brother's three years younger than I am."

Holding out his hand and displaying all five fingers, Bennet smiled, "I'm five years older than Claire, and..." Sticking out two fingers from his other hand he looked at his aunt, "My dad is seven years older than Charlotte."

Charlotte looked at Graham and then to Bennet. She knew that her nephew would be able to talk his head off so she came up with a plan for someone else to do all the talking. She looked at Graham again and smiled, "Why don't you tell him a story? The sand dollar one?"

"Oh, I uh..." Graham nervously laughed.

She saw his hesitation, "No, it's great. He'll love it."

"Tell me. Tell me!" The little boy was intrigued. "Please!"

Graham looked over to the boy and his sweet little face was something he couldn't say no to. Clearing his throat, Graham felt Charlotte lean into him and he smiled before he began. "Legend has it..." That was the hook. Bennet's eyes were glued to Graham and the older guy smiled.

"Legend has it that many, many moons ago there was a robbery. A big time robbery..."

"With thieves, and bandits, and police men?" Bennet was leaning back in the chair anxious to hear the rest.

Charlotte laughed and looked at the little boy, "Hold your horses, Bennet. Let him finish."

"Sorry." Bennet frowned and kept quiet.

Graham found himself smiling at the kid. He was so eager about everything. "So this robbery. It all started when Barnacle Bank opened up. It was _the _place for all the mermaids and mermen to store their money. But one day." Graham paused to build suspense. "One day a group of criminal mermen broke into the bank and cracked open the vault..."

Charlotte glanced over at Bennet and could see that her nephew was captivated by Graham's story. He might as well be cuddled up with a blanket and popcorn.

"...money was going everywhere. The thieves didn't realize that the mermaids who worked at the bank had put a curse on the money in case it was ever stolen. So when the criminals started gathering it all up, it started floating to the surface. Every single piece the bad guys touched floated away and they couldn't get any of it." Graham looked at Bennet who was entertained. "The robbers were caught by the blowfish patrol but all the money they'd tarnished was gone forever. It was gone for the mermaids and sea creatures, but left to wash ashore for anyone else to find." Graham waited a second to wrap it up. "And now, when you're walking down the beach and you see a sand dollar you'll know how it got there, why it got there, and that you'll have a part of one of the greatest underwater heist of all time."

Bennet's mouth hung open and he smiled, "Whoa!"

"Pretty cool, right bud?" Charlotte knew that Graham had won over Bennet with his fascinating underwater legends.

The boy nodded and leaned his head back into the soft pillow of the chair, "What's another one? Tell me another one please."

Charlotte looked at Graham who nodded. He started to tell the tale about tsunamis and that one had Bennet laughing. Charlotte hadn't heard that one yet, but got up to get them all drinks while Graham went ahead and told the hilarious story about Triton sneezing.

She returned with the drinks and sat down to listen to the rest of the story, and knew that she could listen to Graham go on forever. It was a strange feeling for her to be so comfortable with him, but it wasn't anything she could turn off. There wasn't a switch she pulled or a button she pressed that made her feel so normal around him. Charlotte didn't have any idea how or why this guy made her feel the way she did, but she liked it. And listening to her nephew's laughter, she knew Bennet liked him too.

**OTHOTH**

After learning about sand dollars, tsunamis, and sea horses the group of three immersed themselves in a captivating game of hide and seek where the boys teamed up against Charlotte. Charlotte had the upper hand though. Even if the boys were plotting against her they were in her house. She knew all the nooks and crannies.

"I'm it." Bennet hung his shoulders and walked to the kitchen counter. That had been base, and since Charlotte found him first, it was his turn to be the seeker. "Alright. I'm counting to sixty." The boy shut his eyes and started to count.

Charlotte ran to Sawyer's room and Graham was right behind her. She looked over her shoulder and in a hushed whisper shook her head, "You can't hide with me. I picked this room."

Graham laughed and opened the bathroom door. "We can share."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte pushed the shower curtain and hopped into the tub. Graham stepped in next to her but quickly stepped out to turn off the lights.

"What did you do that for." Charlotte stood in the shower, in the dark, with her arms crossed.

Graham put his finger over his lips and whispered, "If it's dark in here, he's less likely to look. It's all strategy."

"Ready or not! Here I come!" They both heard Bennet laugh as he started looking for the two of them.

Charlotte's eyes were adjusting to the darkness and she took a step closer to Graham. He was busy trying to hear where Bennet's footsteps were to notice she'd gotten closer. She tugged on his shirt and that got his attention. "You didn't have to do this. Tell him stories and play games, thank you."

Graham was either in game mode, or was just oblivious to Charlotte's tone, arched brow, and smirk. "I've had a good time. It's been fun."

For a moment Charlotte almost kissed him. She was this close but they heard the wooden floors creak.

"I'm gonna getcha! Here I come." Bennet sounded so sure it was too cute for words. The boy walked through Sawyer's room and made his way to the bathroom. The light was off but he flicked the switch. Charlotte and Graham's silhouettes were obvious when the light came on and the little boy laughed. "Can't fool me!" He slung open the curtain, crossed his arms, and nodded when he saw his aunt and Graham. "Busted!" Bennet tapped Graham on the arm, "You're it."

Graham's brow furrowed, "Me? I thought we had a deal man?"

"Oh, whoops." Bennet reached out for Charlotte and hit her, "You're it."

Her mouth dropped, "What? That's not fair!"

Graham laughed and stepped out of the tub, "I'll be it. I'll be it. You two go hide." He hustled to the kitchen and waited for minute before he started to count. After he counted to sixty he started looking around but heard the door knock. For a second he thought Bennet may have tried to hide outside and then wanted to come back in, so he hurried to the door. But when Graham opened the door it wasn't the boy he'd befriended. The guy had those same blue eyes but looked to be in his early thirties.

Jamie was surprised to see some guy opening Charlotte's door. First off, he didn't know who he was, and second, why did Charlotte have this guy over in the first place? Big brother protectiveness was starting to kick in. Maybe he was friends with Sawyer?

Graham blinked a few times and mumbled before he spoke clearly, "Hey. I'm, uh. I'm Graham McFarland." He extended his hand because he realized that the guy in front of him was the same guy Charlotte had in some of her family pictures. It was her brother.

"Jamie Scott." Jamie shook Graham's hand. "Nice to meet you."

Charlotte had been hiding in the hall closet and heard two voices. One belonging to Graham and one belonging to her brother. She opened the door and walked toward the front door. "Jamie?"

Jamie looked past Graham and saw his little sister. "Hey Char, where's the boy?"

As soon as he said it, little footsteps came tearing out of Charlotte's room and Bennet ran over to Graham. The boy hopped up on Graham's back and looked at his dad. "Dad, Dad, this is Graham. He's in the Coast Guard and saves people. He's got two boats. Two! He knows all about the sea and he's Charlotte's boyfriend. We're buddies."

Charlotte started to smile because it was just like Bennet to run his mouth. Graham was halfway awkwardly holding on to Bennet and looked at Charlotte's brother with a smile.

Jamie had barely heard what his son had said but caught the part about this guy being Charlotte's boyfriend. He looked at his son and smiled, "I guess you had fun, huh?"

"Yeah. It was awesome. We were playing hide and seek."

Graham helped Bennet slide down his back and moved out of the doorway.

"Wanna come in?" Charlotte looked at Jamie with a raised brow.

"No, we gotta get back." Jamie looked down to Bennet with a smirk, "I think Claire misses you."

"Me? Really?" Bennet looked surprised.

Before Jamie could answer, Graham bent down to the boy and nodded, "Remember what I said about big brother duties?" He held out his fist and Bennet gave Graham a pound.

Jamie liked the guy. So far he did. He didn't know him but this guy seemed nice. "Alright, bud, head to the car. I'll be right behind you." Jamie looked at Charlotte and Graham knew that look. It was the 'let me talk to my sister for a second' look. Graham said he was gonna go get some water and left Charlotte and Jamie alone.

They walked to the porch and shut the door. Jamie watched carefully as Bennet climbed into his car and then looked at his baby sister. "So that's the Coastie Dad was talking about?"

Charlotte had no idea their father had called Jamie to ask him about Graham. "What?"

"Yeah, Dad called last week worried about some Coast Guard guy...asking me if I knew anyone from high school who was in it."

"Are you serious?" Charlotte took a deep breath and laughed, "That's just like him."

Jamie shrugged, "Well I don't know. It kinda seemed like you were never gonna introduce us."

"It's not like I was trying to hide him or something but..."

"It's a lot. Mom, Dad, me...everyone else. I know I get it, but come on Charlotte, Bennet's the first family member to meet the guy?" He laughed while shrugging his shoulders.

"Sawyer. Sawyer was the first actually." She laughed not knowing if Jamie was upset or not.

He sighed and looked to the car, "Well, I don't know the guy but Bennet really seems to like him." Jamie paused for a second and looked to the window to see if he could see Graham, "Just be careful. Don't get your heart broken and don't fall to fast. I know you. I know how you are..."

"Jamie...I will be careful. I am. Graham's a good guy and we're taking things slow. I mean God, we've only really kissed like six times over the course of a month. You don't have to worry." She was starting to spit out information Jamie probably didn't need to know.

But that was the thing. He did have to worry. It was a natural instinct for Jamie to worry about Charlotte. He'd always had her back and every guy she ever dated he watched like a hawk. Jamie nodded and knew he needed to back off a little. "Alright, alright." He looked to his car and then back to Charlotte. "Thanks for watching him."

"Yeah sure. Whenever you need me, I'm here. Tell Liza hey and give Claire and kiss for me."

Jamie walked off the steps and looked back to her. "I will. Thanks."

Charlotte waved to Bennet and when she saw Jamie pull out of the driveway she walked back inside. Graham was in the kitchen looking at the things on the fridge when she walked in.

She looked at him and sighed, "Sorry about that."

He shook his head, "About what?"

"Meeting Jamie like that. I know that was kind of sudden and you didn't know it was coming. If I had known he was coming over now to get Bennet I would have said something."

"It was fine. He's nice." Graham laughed, "I don't think he likes me but he seemed nice."

"No it's not. It's just...I've always been really open and forthcoming about all my relationships with him and..."

"I'm a secret?" Graham laughed again because he knew that wasn't true.

"No. Not at all." Charlotte's brown eyes widened and she shook her head.

Graham didn't mean to make her think he really thought that. "I was kidding. Sorry."

Charlotte leaned on the counter and sighed, "Bennet really likes you."

He laughed and nodded, "So I'm one for two." That wasn't exactly a phenomenal statistic with regards to her family members that had met him and liked him.

"Two for three. Sawyer likes you and I really don't think Jamie doesn't like you."

Maybe Charlotte was right. He didn't really get enough time to really see how Jamie reacted to him. Things had gone well so maybe he was just worrying. Graham laughed as he had forgotten that Sawyer and Charlotte were cousins. "Where is she by the way? I thought she might bust in on our game of hide and seek."

Shrugging, Charlotte shook her head. "I don't know. I think shes got a date or something." She walked closer to Graham and sighed changing the subject, "I'm sorry we couldn't go sailing today."

"What are your plans for next weekend? I was thinking we could do it then."

Charlotte knew she didn't have any prior engagements. "Hmm. I don't know? I might be all booked?" She was teasing him and got a nice laugh out of it

Graham smiled, "You're funny, you know that?"

"Isn't that a good thing, though?"

"It is a very good thing."

Charlotte smiled and looked at the clock on the oven, "Wanna stay for dinner? We can order a pizza or something."

Graham winced and scratched his head. "I don't know? I might be..."

Before he could finish, Charlotte rolled her eyes, "I like everything but olives, what about you?"

"No anchovies."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "Ew yeah. I forgot about those. Those are nasty." She picked up the phone and dialed the number.

Graham watched her as she paced the kitchen waiting for the pizza place to pick up. It was the little things like that he'd smile about. The way she twisted her hair between her fingers and how she looked over to him with a grin. He'd never had that feeling before. The little things had never been a big deal. But with Charlotte, the little things were the big things.

After she ordered the pizza she set the phone down and saw that he was looking at the flowers on the table. "I've tried to keep them alive. Sawyer's notoriously bad about killing plants so we've set a new record with those." Charlotte walked next to him and looked on at her flowers.

He turned and could smell her shampoo. He had no idea what it was but it smelled fantastic.

Charlotte could feel his face close to her hair and felt goosebumps run up her arms. She turned to face him and bit her lip. "Honeysuckle. My shampoo. It's honeysuckle. Just in case you were wondering."

He grinned and leaned down to kiss her sweetly. It wasn't too much and it wasn't too little. For that moment it had been perfect.

Their day of sailing had been cut short, but even without the peaceful ocean or colorful sunset, things had gone better than planned. Bennet had helped them realize that they were more than dinners and a good conversation. Charlotte Scott was dating Graham McFarland and it was as simple as it sounded.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. How many of you want to see Graham meet Nathan and Haley next? Or maybe I'll do their little sailing adventure next? What do you guys want to see? I know Sawyer was only mentioned but did you guys miss her? Want to see her next chapter?**

**My reviewers have been amazing and I love all of you. Thank you so much for the feedback. It's really helpful and motivating!**

**Tp404: I'm so happy that you liked Sawyer last chapter. You're right. Some of the stuff that comes out of her mouth is unbelievable. I can't help it though. She's my comedic outlet.**

**MagicalNaley23: Well if bilingualness isn't a word, it should be. Sounds good to me, lol. I'm glad that you think Charlotte and Graham's personalities go well together. Saywer and Ben weren't directly in this chapter but they were both on dates...hmm...with each other? Maybe. Probably. Yes. Nathan and his interrogation will be either next chapter or the next. If you want or haven't already. Check out chapter 25 of Little Moments, An Officer and a Gentleman. It includes a bit of what you want to see. **

**Always and Forever: Thanks so much for the review! I'm so thrilled you are enjoying Charlotte and Graham and _also_ Sawyer and Ben. I'm not set on how I want their relationship to pan out but you'll probably see more of them together in the future. **

**Joan: It seems a lot of people are on the Ben and Sawyer train. I'll have to add more of them next chapter. And I think you are on to something with your inquiry about Graham telling story to their potential kids.**

**Laura: So how was the sand dollar story? Graham's storytelling is one of the things I love most about him, but I myself am not a storyteller so that kind of deflates his ability. But I hope you liked what I did with it. I like your idea about Charlotte screwing up when she re-tells the story to her parents. I'll figure out a way to add that in somewhere.**

**Pdc: I'm so happy you like the story. It means a lot that you enjoy Little Moments and this one. I hope you liked Jamie's as well!**

**Blurrystars: I'm glad you decided to give this story a try. I'm so happy you like Sawyer. You're right. She is like a mini Peyton. In my mind it's a mix of Peyton and Brooke, lol. Both of them together would say the most ridiculously bitchy, snarky things, lol. Since you liked Charlotte and Bennet's routine in chapter 2 I'm hoping you liked him in this last chapter. Hopefully it wasn't too much of him. Sawyer and Ben and pretty fun to have on the side. Maybe they'll pop up again next chapter.**

**BDavis:**** I didn't realize that you'd reviewed last chapter under chapter 1 so here is your added review response. Well we got to see a snippet of them on the boat but not much. I'll probably do a chapter with them on an actual boat date later down the road. I'm so glad you like Sawyer and Ben. I know they weren't really in this chapter but they were briefly mentioned. Hope you didn't miss them too bad. ****  
**

**Please review!**


	5. There's Something About a Man in Uniform

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 5: There's Something About a Man in Uniform**

**Disclaimer: I'll take credit for my original characters but the ones you probably know and love are from Mark and co.**

**A/N: Thanks so much for the feedback last chapter. This one might make up for the fact that we never saw them actually go out last chapter. Enjoy.**

**-Ugh! FanFiction keeps messing up! Sorry guys for the confusion. I had to re-post this because apparently the new chapter (5) wasn't showing up. It should work now. I hope you all who get a chance to read it now like it. Please review! Thanks ohhsogreys for the heads up about the problem.**

**-Updated again: AHHH for the second time! I'm seriously emailing FanFiction support and letting them know something is seriously wrong. Sorry again for any confusion. Read on if you haven't.  
**

**OTHOTH**

It had been two weeks since the canceled sailing trip and Charlotte was wondering when they would get a chance to do that. She thought they'd be able to do it the following weekend but a storm was blowing in, and Graham had decided against taking the two of them out. It was probably a good decision. Nathan Scott probably wouldn't have liked the guy who got his little girl stranded at sea. Maybe he'd take her out next week, weather permitting.

The breeze would be nice on a day like this. The sticky summer air was not forgiving. Sawyer walked out of her bedroom dressed in super short shorts and a tank trying to beat the heat. Charlotte, on the other hand, wasn't dressed in her lightest layers. Graham was picking her up in an hour for lunch and the pajama like outfit Sawyer was wearing just wouldn't cut it. Charlotte's khaki shorts and purple v-neck tee were what she was working with.

"Kill me now! Is our air conditioner even on? Is it working right?" Sawyer flopped down on the couch and sighed.

Charlotte walked from the kitchen and laughed, "Yes. It's fine. If you don't think about it, it won't be so bad."

"Yeah, sure." Rolling her eyes, Sawyer gave Charlotte a sarcastic smile and got up. She walked into the kitchen and pulled out a cup. "So where are you two going today?"

She didn't know. Charlotte didn't have a clue. "Lunch."

"Well, but where?" Sawyer reached into the ice-maker and laughed.

Charlotte sat down in the living room and raised her voice so Sawyer could hear her. "I'm not sure. Probably somewhere downtown. He's just taking off for lunch."

"You've already got him taking off work for you. That's impressive." Sawyer nodded and walked to the sink to get some water. There were a few dishes that needed to be rinsed off and as Sawyer rinsed she laughed thinking of her cousin and that Coastie. She was about to say one of her famous offhanded remarks but something else came out of her mouth. "Shit! Shit! Shit! Charlotte!"

Startled by Sawyer, Charlotte got up and ran over to the kitchen, "What? What happened?"

"Help me!" Sawyer looked wide eyed at the floor and then the sink. There was water everywhere. "It won't stop!"

"Uh..." Charlotte froze for a moment and tried to think of how to make the water stop. A wrench. She needed a wrench, right? "I'll be right back."

She ran to the hall closet and searched for the toolbox. Lucas had given it to Sawyer when she got a place of her own, but neither girl knew how to use the things inside. The toolbox was still wrapped up in plastic. It had never been opened.

Charlotte grabbed the box and sprinted to the kitchen. "Okay, okay, hold on."

Sawyer had opened the cabinets under the sink to find that the water was coming from under there. "Oh, God. What do we do?"

Charlotte shook her head and tore open the box, "Try this." She handed Sawyer the wrench and Sawyer stared at it.

"What the hell am I supposed to do with this?" Sawyer held the wrench out like it was contaminated with a deadly disease.

The younger Scott shrugged, "I don't know? Try and tighten something down there. I'm gonna get some towels." Charlotte got up and headed for the laundry room.

"Dammit to hell." Sawyer huffed and shook her head.

Charlotte returned with towels and saw that nothing was helping. "What are we gonna do?" She was flustered and sweating and wanted the leak to stop.

Frustrated, Sawyer threw the wrench down. "Call Graham. He can probably fix this."

"What? No." Charlotte didn't want to call him. He was at work. Yes, he was taking off but she didn't want him leaving any earlier than he needed to. And on top of that she didn't want to be _that_ girl. She didn't want to be the girl who needed the guy to fix all her household problems. Charlotte didn't want Graham to think she was clingy either. "Call Ben."

"Ben? No way." Sawyer scrunched her forehead so her wrinkles were prominent.

Charlotte shrugged, "Why not?"

"Why won't you call Graham?" Sawyer was sitting on the floor looking at her brown eyed cousin with a slight smirk.

"Why won't you call Ben?" Charlotte had a bit of an attitude, that on occasion could compete with Sawyer's.

Sawyer was good at this game. "I asked you first." Technically Charlotte had asked first but Sawyer didn't care. Both girls were glaring at each other not really noticing the water spilling onto the kitchen floor.

Sighing, Charlotte shook her head, "Because...because, he's at work." Even if it was true, it wasn't exactly the best answer. "Just call Ben. He won't mind." Charlotte nodded and got her phone out of her purse.

Sawyer's mouth hung open, "Absolutely not. I've only gone out with him like three times. Ugh-uh, no. He's gonna think I'm some prissy girlie girl."

Shaking her head, Charlotte laughed, "No he won't."

"Yes-huh. Call your dad or something." Sawyer was adamant about not calling Ben.

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head, "_My_ dad? I don't think _my_ dad's fixed a pipe in his life. Your dad's the one who is handy."

Sawyer couldn't deny that, but her father was busy. "He's working on a new book. If we call him, he'll be in one of those broody, squinty eyed moods and I'd rather not."

Charlotte sighed. She knew she had to call. "Fine. Whatever." She scrolled through her contacts and held the phone up to her ear. He picked up and Charlotte sighed, "Hey. Look, I know you're at work but can you please come over to the house? We've got a major emergency."

**OTHOTH**

Sawyer and Charlotte spent the next ten minutes trying to stop the gushing river coming from under their sink. Apparently neither Brown nor Berklee taught Plumbing 101. Sawyer's shorts were wet and she wasn't a happy camper. She blew a piece of stray hair away from her face and shook her head.

"This is ridiculous."

Charlotte was ringing out a towel and nodded. "But at least this water's cold."

"Ha! Like that helps." Sawyer rolled her eyes. Sure her internal temperature had gone down a few degrees but her frustration was boiling over. "How slow is he driving to get here? Or is he walking? I mean, jeez! The turtles don't always win the race." She shook her head, "Not when there is water gushing out of his girlfriends sink."

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head? Before she could give an excuse the front door opened.

"Charlotte?"

Sawyer's mouth hung open. That wasn't Graham's voice. She looked at Charlotte with a furrowed brow."You cheated! You called Jamie."

"How exactly is that cheating?" Charlotte laughed shrugging her shoulders. She tossed the towel back on the floor, "I told you. I wasn't calling Graham."

Jamie walked into the kitchen and noticed his cousin on the floor and Charlotte pressing towels against the shiny wet hardwood. "What did you two do?" He laughed and scratched his head.

"Don't start Jamie. I'm not in the mood." Sawyer cut her eyes at Jamie and shook her head. "Here. Work your manly magic." She got up off the floor and tossed Jamie the wrench. Her shorts were soaked through and through and the outline of her underwear was hard not to miss.

He looked at Charlotte before he got to work, "Will you get me a dry towel to sit on while I fix this?" He unbuttoned his shirt and put it on the kitchen table.

"Yeah, hold on." Charlotte ran to get a towel and rushed back. "Thanks for coming over. We would have flooded everything."

Jamie laid down on his back with his head under the sink. "That's what big brothers are for, right?"

He hooked the wrench on the loose pipe and started tightening. Charlotte kneeled down by her brother and tried to watch what he was doing. What if it happened again? She wanted to be prepared. Jamie successfully stopped the leak and scooted out from under the sink. His undershirt had gotten wet and he looked down at his now dirty white shirt and laughed, "That should hold. Do me a favor and turn the water on."

Charlotte got up and hit the nozzle and waited to hear Jamie's next directions. "Is it okay?"

Jamie stood up and nodded, "Yeah. The pipe must have come loose somehow. It's working fine. No water."

The youngest Scott couldn't help but notice how wet Jamie's shirt was and she felt bad that he'd come from work. "You want another shirt?"

He laughed and shook his head, "I don't think I can squeeze into yours."

Sawyer pulled herself up on the counter and gave Charlotte a smile. "Let him wear one of Graham's."

Jamie turned to his sister so fast his vision blurred. Did he hear Sawyer right? Charlotte had some of Graham's shirts. Images of his little sister and Graham started pounding his brain. No. That wasn't happening. Jamie looked at Charlotte with a stern eye.

"No, no. It's not what you think." Charlotte shook her head. "He was over hear a few nights ago and he spilled wine all over himself. I offered to wash it and haven't given it back yet. I promise, that's it."

Jamie knew that Sawyer would know the details. He glanced her way and she held her arms up. "I wasn't here."

"Jamie." Charlotte sighed and shook her head again. "That was it. Stop worrying. It's really not your business anyway. Do you want the shirt or not?"

Furrowing his brow, Jamie widened his eyes. "Like hell it's not my business, Charlotte."

"I'm not having this conversation right now."

Sawyer was still siting on the counter listening to the pending brother sister fight. "Oh come on. This is the most interesting thing that's happened all day. Way better than our sink catastrophe. Continue, continue! "

Jamie rolled his eyes and pulled his undershirt over his head. He rung it out in the sink and walked to the kitchen table. "I'm fine. I gotta get back." Jamie slipped his dry shirt on pushing the buttons through the holes and shook his head. "Call me later if the pipe acts up. I know a plumber you can use." He started to walk to the door and Charlotte followed him.

"Jamie..."

He turned and looked at her. They had one of those unspoken looks. The one where she knew he was upset but didn't want to go further into it. He knew it too. Jamie knew he was getting riled up over nothing. But it wasn't really nothing. When he'd heard that she had one of Graham's shirts, Jamie couldn't help but assume they were sleeping together and he knew what that meant. In Charlotte's book, that meant Graham wasn't just some fling, he wasn't just some guy. That was the part that gave Jamie a little dose of reality. Graham was obviously somebody Charlotte really cared about.

After the moment of silence Charlotte's brown eyes locked with her brother's blue eyes and she smiled, "Tell Liza I'd love to watch Claire for the day if you two ever need a break. Bennet too."

Jamie nodded and smiled, "I will."

"Thank you for fixing the sink."

"Yeah, sure."

Watching her brother walk down the walkway, Charlotte took a deep breath. Because Jamie had acted the way he did, thought was he thought, he'd helped her put everything in perspective. Graham was someone she really did care about.

Sawyer walked next to her best friend and bumped her with her hip, "You better go freshen up. Graham's gonna be here any minute."

"Shit!"

**OTHOTH**

Graham pulled up to the little house he'd become familiar with and got out of his car. The summer heat had him sweating and he wiped his brow. His hand ran through is thick light brown hair and he smiled. Charlotte was probably going to be a little surprised by his outfit.

He knocked on the door and saw a smile from Sawyer as she opened it. "Hey Graham. I'll go tell Charlotte you're here."

"Thanks." Graham took a step inside while Sawyer walked to Charlotte's room.

Sawyer stuck her head into Charlotte's room and her eyes widened, "Uh he's here, and he's in uniform so you better hurry before I go flirt with him."

Charlotte laughed and tugged on her top so it was straight. "You wouldn't dare."

"Uh. I don't know? He's looking pretty good with all that blue on. And his name tag. Mmm. All of it."

Picking up her purse, Charlotte rolled her eyes. "And what about Ben?"

"Ben who!" Sawyer shook her head and laughed. She was kinda jealous. Sawyer hadn't seen Ben in his uniform and after seeing Graham she sure as hell wanted to.

"Oh come on Sawyer. It's just a uniform." Charlotte had seen Graham in a few of the t-shirts with USCG imprinted on them. It really couldn't be all that different.

Sawyer smirked and leaned into the door. "Yeah, well, when your knees turn to mush when you see him don't look at me with those eyes. I warned you."

"Okay. Whatever. I'll be back in a little while. Try not to bust the sink again."

Arching her brow, Sawyer huffed, "Hey, that was not my fault."

Charlotte walked out into the living room and Sawyer was right. The younger Scott's knees were feeling a little mushy when she saw Graham in his blue on blue outfit. He even had the matching baseball cap to go with it. It wasn't the fancy outfit but the really cute all blue get up that seemed like it was for hard manual labor. It could probably get dirty and it wouldn't be a problem. The insignias, his belt, those black boots, it all was eye catching.

Graham heard Charlotte walk out and smiled, "Hey."

She smiled right back and couldn't help but look at him. If anyone could pull of that much navy blue it was Graham. "Hey." Charlotte walked to him and kissed him hello. When they parted she couldn't take her eyes off his outfit.

He knew that she was looking him over and he couldn't help but smirk. "I know this isn't exactly normal lunch attire but..."

"No, no, it's fine." Charlotte nodded. It was more than fine.

Graham opened the door and they walked to his car. He opened the door for her and then he got in and drove toward downtown. "I thought we could go to Docks?"

"Yeah, that sounds great." Charlotte nodded and stole a glance his way. She couldn't help it. There was something about him in that uniform that had her hooked.

Making light of the situation, Graham patted his chest and laughed, "If I'd thought about it. I would have changed into my tropical blues or dress whites." He knew that she was admiring his outfit. "This OPU isn't really flattering." The joke worked on her because she laughed.

She looked at him with a smile. "So how many uniforms do you have?"

"Too many to count." Graham laughed as he pulled onto 3rd street.

"Really?"

He nodded, "We've got this, the tropical, dress blues, dress whites, even a special tux, camo, and I had a jumpsuit in college."

"A jumpsuit?" Charlotte's smile widened as she envisioned Graham wearing a one piece outfit.

He laughed and shook his head, "I felt a little like a kid in that thing."

"I bet." Charlotte re-thought about the outfits he had and arched her brow. "So what's the tropical? It doesn't have palm tress or anything on it, right?" She knew it didn't but wondered anyway.

"Have you seen the guys around town in the light blue shirt with the blue pants? That's it. We're supposed to wear our combination cap too. That's the fancy looking one." Graham turned the car onto Dock Street and into the pay parking lot. He looked down at his outfit and shrugged, "This old thing is our operational uniform. Nothing exciting."

Charlotte's cheeks turned pink. It was pretty exciting on her account.

They both headed toward the restaurant and sat down at the bar. It was pretty crowded but they'd been lucky to find seats. The bartender took their orders while the two twenty somethings munched on peanuts.

"So I couldn't help but notice all the towels in the kitchen when I came in earlier."

Charlotte laughed, "Yeah, we had a little bit of a plumbing problem. More like a big plumbing problem, but Jamie came over and fixed it."

Graham felt a ping of jealously. "I could have fixed it. You could have called me."

It hadn't come off cocky or egotistical, more sincere and genuine. At that moment, Charlotte had regretted that she called her brother instead of Graham. "I just figured you wouldn't be able to get away since you were already taking off for lunch." She looked at him and gave him a sweet smile coupled with a laugh, "Next time Old Faithful shows up in my kitchen sink I'll call."

He laughed and watched as the waiter set their drinks down and a plate of six oysters imperial. Charlotte ordered a simple Caesar salad and Graham got the Cajun shrimp sandwich. When the waiter disappeared Graham raised his brow. "You wanna a oyster?" The face that Charlotte made after he'd asked told him no. He narrowed his eyes questioning her. "Wait, tell me you do like oysters?"

"Ugh-uh."

"What? How can you not like them? Graham shook his head with bewilderment.

Shrugging, Charlotte didn't know. "I guess it's a texture thing."

"Oh come on. Try one. They're great." Graham held up an oyster and raised his eyebrows."

Charlotte appreciated the fact that he wanted her to try one but she wasn't having it. "I'm fine, really."

"Charlotte..."

The way it rolled off his tongue. Her name. It was almost enough to convince her to try a slimy oyster. "No thanks."

"Just one?" Graham wasn't going down without a fight.

Furrowing her brow, Charlotte shook her head. He was starting to get annoying. "I don't like them."

Still not taking the hint, Graham held out the oyster closer to her. "Come on."

Obviously he wasn't understanding. Charlotte was running out of options. She thought of something and smiled. Taking the oyster from his hand she smirked, "If I eat this. If this thing goes anywhere near my mouth then there is a high probability that you wont get to do the same." Charlotte shook her head and laughed. "So I think it's your choice now. You really want me to try this?"

She didn't know it but Charlotte had a way with words pieced together with that smirk. Graham had never seen anything like it. "Uh... No, no, it's, it's fine." Graham took the oyster out of her hand so fast Charlotte hadn't even realized it. He shook his head and smiled when the waiter came over.

"Are you finished with these? I'll get them out of the way." The waiter pointed at Graham's oyster plate.

Graham nodded, "Yes, _please_." He laughed and looked at Charlotte. "Better?"

Charlotte felt bad now. She didn't mean for him to send his food away. She winced and laughed, "I didn't mean I couldn't look at them. You could have finished them."

He could have finished them, but one, he didn't need all of that and two, it wasn't worth it. "I'll be fine. They weren't that good anyway." Charlotte had a funny feeling that wasn't the case.

The two of them started to eat their lunch and the next ten minutes was filled with conversation ranging from music, to seafood they both liked, and from Nike's vs. New Balance. Charlotte was a firm believer in Nike's while Graham was confident that New Balance was the way to go.

"This isn't a deal breaker is it? That I like New Balance? He was laughing as he used his napkin to wipe off his mouth.

Charlotte thought about it for a second and shook her head, "I think I can deal with it." She laughed and shrugged her shoulders, "How did we even start talking about that?"

Graham tried to think and he had no idea how that popped up into conversation. "I have no idea."

"Me either."

He laughed and before he spoke again he felt his phone buzzing in his pocket. He pulled it out and looked at Charlotte. "Sorry, I gotta take this." Graham stepped away from the bar and headed outside.

Normally in that situation the girlfriend would wonder who he was talking to, think that maybe he was hiding something but Charlotte wasn't that girl, and Graham wasn't that guy.

She turned her attention to the two girls down the bar and raised her brow. How did they get away with it? No way they were twenty one. If Charlotte had waltzed into a downtown bar at nineteen or twenty the bartenders would have laughed at her. But that felt like a lifetime ago. Those girls at the other end turned their attention toward the door and were both gawking. Charlotte knew who they were looking at and couldn't help but smile. She kind of wanted to slide them each a beer with a little note: _Sorry girls, he's mine, but you can have these. I won't tell that you are underage._ But that wasn't necessary.

Graham walked over to her and pulled out his wallet. "That was my commanding officer. I gotta head back."

"Oh. Really?" Charlotte hated that he had to go so soon.

He tossed the money on the bar and when his green eyes met her brown ones, Graham got an idea. "Come with me?"

"To the base?"

Nodding, Graham smiled, "Yeah. I'll show you around."

Charlotte laughed and tilted her head, "Isn't that for authorized personnel only?"

"It'll be fine. I'm in good graces with my guys. They won't care."

She wasn't sure if she should go or not. Charlotte really wanted to. It might be kind of neat to see where he spent his time when he wasn't on the cutter. "And you're sure it's okay?"

"Yeah."

Taking one last sip of her coke, Charlotte got off her stool and smiled at him. "Alright. Let's go."

This was going to be interesting. Graham had never taken anyone to the base before, not even his parents. They had seen the one up in Elizabeth City but they hadn't seen the southern North Carolina station. Charlotte Scott was going to be his first official visitor.

**OTHOTH**

Graham pulled through the gates and smiled at Willie. He was the guard on duty and Willie was nice enough to give Charlotte a visitor's pass without questions asked. Normally visitors had to call ahead and schedule an appointment or tour but Charlotte was beyond that.

"Don't go getting yourself in trouble now, Lieutenant." The older gentlemen smiled at the young Coastie and laughed.

"No sir, not with this one." Graham looked over at Charlotte and smiled. "I think she'll behave herself."

Willie pushed the button that opened the gate and watched as Graham's white Tahoe pulled into the base.

"Behave myself? What's that supposed to mean. Am I really not supposed to be here? I don't want to get you in trouble." Charlotte looked out the window and suddenly felt like every move she made was being watched.

Graham parked the car and shook his head. "It's fine."

Charlotte followed Graham into a building and she was surprised at how normal everything looked. It sort of reminded her of a regular office building. The only difference was that the décor was much more interesting. Old pictures of boats and Coast Guard divisions flooded the walls. There were a few guys sitting at a couple desks and she politely smiled at them and they all gave her a nod. It seemed so official, that nod.

"This is the headquarters for Marine Safety. We're sectioned for the Fifth Division and serve Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina."

Charlotte's eyes widened. "This place does all three states?" She continued to follow Graham amazed at how much ground this one section covered.

Graham nodded and they walked through a door leading to a large hanger. "These..." Graham pointed at the two choppers and smiled, "These take me up on missions."

They were so much bigger in person than Charlotte ever would have thought. Whenever she saw helicopters fly in the air they looked tiny. Not these things. These things were the size of her and Sawyer's little two bedroom house. Maybe not that big, but still. They were ginormous. And really orange too. Orange in the 'Hey, what? I know you can see me from a mile away' kind of color that almost hurts your eyes. "You don't fly them do you?"

"No. Pittman and Billings captain those. I just jump out." Graham walked over to the smaller of the two and opened the door.

The image of Graham jumping out of one of those into the ocean scared the hell out of her. She'd heard that if anyone landed a fraction of an inch the wrong way it could be life ending.

Graham pulled out three oxygen tanks and carried two over to the corner. "I gotta fill these up and make rounds on the rest of our equipment."

Charlotte looked around and didn't want to keep staring so she offered her services. "Can I help you do anything?"

He loved that she wanted to help. "Uh yeah, sure. There are some suits in there that I've got to wash off. You wanna grab them?"

Walking over to the helicopter she saw the orange rescue suits and grabbed them both. She drug them over to Graham as he filled up the empty oxygen tanks. "Anything else?"

"I think if I ask you to do anything else you'll think I only brought you here to work." He laughed and capped the tank.

"No." Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "This is neat. I've never seen anything like this." Charlotte looked around and then tried to pick up the oxygen tank he'd just filled up. "Well I can't pick that thing up. Jeez, you have to wear that?"

Graham picked up the tank without a problem and nodded, "It feels lighter in the water. A lot of times we won't wear them though. Normally we use them after we've all gotten back in the chopper." He carried the tank back to the helicopter and then came back to fill the second tank. "You want to fill her up?"

Charlotte looked at the tank and winced, "You should probably do that. I don't want to mess something up."

"I'll show you. Come here." Graham waited for Charlotte to get closer and he showed her how to put the valve on correctly. "Now keep the pressure low or it will start to spew out."

She had her hand on the knob and her eyes were fixed on the gauge. Charlotte felt his hand on hers and she smiled. "How do you know when it's full?"

Graham leaned closer to her an laughed. "You'll know."

Charlotte didn't know what that was supposed to mean but about thirty seven seconds later, Charlotte heard a pop that scared her to death. "Oh God, what did I do? Did I break it? I'll pay for it. If I broke this..."

He was laughing and he looked at Charlotte. "You didn't break anything. It just means the tank's full."

Her brown eyes were wide and she laughed. "A little warning next time."

"Sorry." Graham picked up the second tank and took it to the helicopter.

"Does this other one need to be filled up?"

Graham set the thank down and nodded, "Yeah, but I'll get it."

Charlotte was a fast learner and prided herself of that. She'd done it once, she could do it again. Slipping the valves in the right places, she turned the knob letting oxygen flow into the empty tank.

Walking toward her, Graham noticed that she was filling the tank up all by herself. "Impressive, Scott. I guess you want to take over, huh?"

She looked at him with a small smile, "I thought I could go ahead and get it started." The tank popped just as soon as she said it and she shrieked. "Gah, what is it with these things? There really should be a warning."

He'd been watching her and was enamored. Never in his military career had he realized that filling up an oxygen tank could be so sexy. It didn't help that the operator happened to be Charlotte. Put Ben in her position then it was a whole 'nother ballgame. Graham watched her cap the tank and he smiled. "I think you're better at this than most of the guys."

Charlotte looked around and turned to Graham, "Where is everybody anyway?"

"Around." He looked across the hanger and outside. "They must not know a lady is on premises."

She laughed and rolled her eyes, "So what's next?"

"Next. We wash off the suits." Graham walked over to the rescue suits Charlotte had gotten out of the chopper and laid them on the ground next to the hose. The hose looked industrial, almost firefighter like.

"This might be a dumb question, but why do you need to rinse them?"

Graham shook his head, "That's not a dumb question." Charlotte couldn't do dumb if she tried. "The salt from the water likes to nest on the fabric and if it's not cleaned off, the suits will go to waste. There is some enzyme or something that acts as a corrosive." He pulled the lever and a steady stream of water jutted out of the hose. The water pressure and the built up salt created a foam and Graham looked at Charlotte, "That's what we don't want."

"Gotcha."

Charlotte watched as Graham handled the hose with grace. It seemed silly to think of that as graceful but it was. He had the job down pat and Charlotte could watch him do that for hours. The things he did on the base were fascinating. She was incredibly happy that he'd asked her to come.

"Here. You want to do the next one?" Graham turned off the hose and handed it to her.

She took it from him while he got out the bucket of flippers, masks, and snorkels. Charlotte pointed the hose at the rescue suit but nothing was happening. He'd really pressed the lever hard and Charlotte couldn't get it to turn back on. She turned to him and furrowed her brow, "I..I can't get..." And just as soon as she said it, she got it. And while that was fine, the fact that she was facing him was the bad part.

The cool water hit him in the back and he shuttered from the shock and temperature. "Cha...Charlotte!"

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I was trying to turn it on and the thing wouldn't turn on. I really tried to get it to work but it..." Charlotte was just like her mother. She was a rambler. Graham shook some of the water off of him and walked close to her with a smirk. "No, no. Graham, no!" Charlotte was holding the hose tight. She knew he was gonna try and get it.

Graham slowly walked back to her and laughed, "No what?" He took the hose from her and turned it on. Charlotte closed her eyes because she was expecting a shower to rain down on her. But that didn't happen. Graham was spraying the second suit and Charlotte cracked open one eye.

"Oh."

"Oh?" He laughed as he continued to wash the suit off. "What did you think I was gonna do?"

Charlotte shrugged and watched him spray the foam off the orange outfit. "That maybe you would spray me or something?"

Graham knew what she was thinking, and he couldn't deny the fact that the idea had crossed his mind. Would it be nice? No. Gentlemen like? Double negative. But would it be fun? He'd have to try it out and see.

The water landed on Charlotte but Graham was nice enough to only hit her for a second or two.

"Graham!" Charlotte wiped her face and started to laugh. "Thanks a lot." She narrowed her eyed and reached for the hose.

"Oh no you don't." He was laughing while they played a version of tug of war.

"McFarland!" An older man's voice boomed out as Graham and Charlotte messed around with the hose.

Graham immediately dropped the hose and stood at attention. "Sir, yes sir?

"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" The man walked closer and Charlotte suddenly felt like she was about to get into trouble.

Graham looked straight ahead and spoke loud and clear. "Equipment run, sir. I filled up the tanks and am in the process of washing off our suits."

Charlotte wanted to go hide in a corner but stood frozen in place. Did she explain herself? Was Graham going to? Would he get punished? The man was dressed in a formal blue uniform, one of the fancy ones, and Charlotte had a good impression that he must have been a very high ranking officer.

"McFarland? Who's this young lady you've got with you today?"

Graham looked at Charlotte and back to Admiral Langston, "Charlotte Scott?"

The Admiral walked over to Charlotte and took off his hat. His cold tone of voice changed and he smiled. "Admiral John C. Langston here. It seems you've befriended our young Lieutenant?"

"Yes sir." Charlotte's voice was as quiet as a mouse but this man seemed as nice as any regular grandpa.

"Now McFarland. You know the rules about visitors?"

Oh great. Graham was getting in trouble. Charlotte really wanted to speak up but she didn't know what to say.

Graham took a deep breath. Shit. He was about to get chewed out in front of his girlfriend. "Yes sir. I was only showing her around, sir."

Admiral Langston raised his brow when he looked at the running hose, "And that water fight? That was...training of some sort I presume?" He laughed and folded his hands together. "Because we all know that a United State Coast Guard Lieutenant needs to know how to properly handle a hose."

Graham didn't know what to say. He was at a loss. He had thought for sure that his officers wouldn't mind if Charlotte had come to the base. Okay, yes, she was doing a little more than admiring the shiny helicopters and switch boards but still.

Still only standing there with nothing to do and feeling like a complete imbecile, Charlotte bit her lip waiting to see what happened next.

Admiral Langston chuckled to himself. His plan was working. McFarland looked like a kid caught sneaking a cookie late at night. He smiled at Charlotte and stepped up to Graham. "Son, can you please enlighten Miss Scott here on what it means to be a member of the United States Coast Guard? Will you kindly tell her what kind of man you are and what we do here?"

The Guardian Ethos. That's what Admiral Langston wanted to hear. Graham nodded and cleared his throat, " I am America's Maritime Guardian. I serve the citizens of the United States. I will protected them. I will defend them. I will save them. I am their Shield. For them I am Semper Paratus. I live the Coast Guard Core Values. I am a Guardian..."

Charlotte noticed about fifteen guys walk out behind Graham and the Admiral nodded.

There was one last sentence Graham needed to say and he wasn't alone in saying it. "We are the United States Coast Guard! Oo Rah!"

The echo and the voices of Graham's fellow Coasties gave Charlotte the chills.

Graham turned his back to see all his buddies laughing and clapping. They'd gotten him good. He thought he was in a shit load of trouble. Even Admiral Langston was laughing. Graham eased out of attention and looked at Charlotte. She had a smile on her face he'd never seen.

Admiral Langston walked over to Graham and patted him on the shoulder, "We wanted to make sure she didn't go running scared. If she had, she wouldn't be worth the time." He'd said it low enough so Graham was the only one who could hear him and then the Admiral spoke loud and clear. "Men. I think we've done our job. Return to posts and lets let McFarland and Scott finish up what they were doing." He turned to walk away and glanced back at Charlotte. "And miss, if you ever have any trouble with this man. You be sure and tell us."

Charlotte nodded and watched the group of Coasties walk back inside and scurry back to whatever it was they were doing. When the Admiral had first come out, she was positive that she was going to be scolded and told never to come back but it was just the opposite. It seemed she was part of some little prank to freak Graham out. In all honesty, the prank was pulled on her too.

He picked up the hose and turned the water off. "Sorry about that." He laughed and shook his head.

"Sorry?" Charlotte smiled and arched her brow. "That was hysterical. I mean at first I thought were were dead, but then I saw that look in the Admiral's eye and I knew he was up to something."

Graham nodded, "He's pretty big on playing jokes."

Running her hands through her semi damp hair, Charlotte took a step closer. "So what's next, Lieutenant?"

He watched her arch her brow, and Graham took a step closer in her direction. "What do you want to do?"

Charlotte put her hands on his shirt and felt the material between her index finger and thumb. She looked to Graham and before saying anything kissed him on the cheek. "How about you go introduce me to your company? I think they're all watching us anyway."

Graham hadn't been paying attention but he looked around and saw that a handful of the guys were spying on them. He turned to Charlotte's side and put his hand in hers. He had never introduced a girl to his division before, not on the job, and not at the base, but Charlotte wasn't most girls.

They walked over to a group of three uniformed men dressed in the same outfit as Graham and he begin introducing her. Charlotte was kind and polite and greeted everyone with a warm smile and a flash of those big brown eyes. She loved it. She liked meeting the boys. She knew Trevor and Drew but there were other new faces. Each time they approached one of Graham's fellow guardsmen, Charlotte couldn't help but smile at the fact that Graham went out of his way to let everyone know that she was his girlfriend. It may have seemed simple but it was more than that.

Bennet may have been the first one to get them to realize that that's what they were. Boyfriend and girlfriend. But having Graham tell all his buddies was another one of those steps. One of those moments when you realize how the relationship was fairing, and for Charlotte and Graham, things were just fine.

**OTHOTH**

**So how was that? Sawyer made an appearance! Ben will be back next chapter. I was gonna add him in here but decided against it. And speaking of next chapter. I think it's one you've all been excited to read about!**

**The feedback is so great and I can't thank you enough to those of you who let me know what you think. Here are my thank you for those of you I can't respond back to via Fanfiction.**

**Laura: You're welcome for the sand dollar story. I hope you liked it. Graham will probably be telling many more stories over the course of this fic so you can look forward to that. You're right. Sometimes the best days are the days when things don't go as originally planned. There was a little, or maybe a lot of that in this chapter, lol. I'm glad you like Sawyer and Ben. I know I wanted her in this new chapter and Ben will definitely be in the next one! Sawyer too!**

**Tasha: Thanks so much for the review. I'm so glad you liked the chapter.**

**BDavis: Ha, Charlotte and Graham perfect. It probably seems like things are going really well but there is drama a head. Bennet was fun to write and I'm glad you liked him next chapter. We won't see the boat/sailing chapter before Graham meets Nathan and Haley but hopefully this gave you a couple fix, before he meets her parents. About your suggestion. Graham won't be meeting Nathan and Haley on an island. From Little Moments, we already know where and how they meet so I'll be doing a take on that chapter from Charlotte and Graham's perspectives.**

**MagicalNaley23: Having Graham give Charlotte purple flowers was one of those no brainers, lol. I couldn't help myself, ha. You're right. It is like a legacy. I'm so glad you liked Bennet. I was hoping he wasn't overkill last chapter and that's totally fine that you picture him as Jamie. I think I kinda do too. There will be moments in this story were we get to see Nathan being a little over the top but it will probably be sporatic through the story. He's always gonna worry about his little girl. I know that Sawyer was MIA in last chapter but she's back in this one, yay. And yes, she and Ben were on a date! I'm also so glad you liked the sand dollar story.**

**Always and Forever: Thanks for the review and I'm so glad you liked last chapter. Graham will meet Nathan and Haley...next chapter and we'll see a little bit of overprotective father in there. It will mainly be from Charlotte and Graham's perspective but there will be a little bit of NH in there too. Since you like Sawyer I hope you liked her in this chapter. She's always a hoot to write, lol. And it means a lot that you think I should write professionally but I think I'll let the English majors and Lit people stick to that.**

**Joan: I really appreciate the fact that you love all three stories from the Little Moment's franchise. Lol, I love how you called it that. I'm glad you liked Bennet, he's fun to write. We got to see some of Jamie's older brother protectiveness in this chapter so yay for that, right? **

**I'd love to hear from you guys and if you have any request/suggestions, I'm all ears!**

**Review Please!**


	6. Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 6: Don't You Worry 'Bout a Thing**

**Disclaimer: I still don't own anything related to OTH, I'm holding out that Mark and co. could use Charlotte for the new baby's name. That would be...awesome!**

**A/N: I hope you all had a nice weekend. If I hadn't gone to the lake this chapter would have been done sooner, but my summer days are dwindling and it was a much needed break. This chapter includes Nathan and Haley, and goes hand in hand with ch. 25 (An Officer and a Gentleman) from Little Moments. I hope you guys like it.**

**OTHOTH**

It was 5:37 in the morning and Charlotte looked up at the ceiling. She shook her head because she was pissed, worried that something may have happened to him. Graham left yesterday afternoon to go on a mission and promised he would call when he got home. Well, he hadn't. He didn't. The scenarios that were running through her mind made Charlotte nervous and her stomach hurt. Was he okay? Were they still out there? How long did a mission normally last? There were about a thousand things that plagued her mind and she took a deep breath.

Charlotte pushed the comforter off her body and got up. If there was anyone who had the answers, maybe not the right answers, it was Sawyer. Charlotte would be able to vent to her best friend even if it was early in the morning.

Without thinking much about it, Charlotte opened Sawyer's door and looked at the blob concealed by a comforter. She stood in the doorway and narrowed her eyes."Sawyer! Sawyer, wake up."

The older, blonde haired Scott slowly opened her eyes and stuck her head out of the covers, "What the hell, Charlotte, it's like...early."

"He didn't call." Charlotte got worried just thinking about it. She leaned her back against the door frame and sighed, "He was supposed to call when he got home and he didn't."

Blinking back the sleep, Sawyer cleared her throat, "Maybe he forgot?"

"Are you listening to me?" Charlotte was a little annoyed that Sawyer wasn't taking the situation all that serious. "Graham's not like that. He always calls." That was true, but only on one level. He'd never had to call her after a mission. Sure, he was punctual when picking her up for dates or things like that but this was the first time he'd had to call her to tell her he was home.

"Charlotte, he's probably fine." Sawyer shuffled under the covers and scooted up her pillow to prop herself up.

Charlotte narrowed her big brown eyes, "Probably isn't what I want to hear." What if something had gone wrong, what if he wasn't okay? Probably wasn't the answer she wanted at all.

"Graham's at home, Charlotte. He got in when I left. He's fine."

Charlotte stood frozen in place. That was Ben's voice. Apparently Sawyer had spend the night company. That explained a lot. Charlotte knew that Sawyer's bed looked extra lumpy.

Sawyer wasn't the type to be embarrassed or ashamed. She looked at Charlotte and could tell that she was surprised. Sawyer looked to her cousin with a raised brow and a smirk that told her 'yeah, so what, there's a boy in my bed.'

"Wh...when, so he's okay?" Charlotte didn't know if she was happy or mad about the news. Quickly realizing she was more mad, Charlotte crossed her arms. What was worse; no call at all, or having him home without a call?

Ben rubbed his hand over his eye and nodded, "He's fine. He got home last night about...eight." Ben looked at Sawyer for a little confirmation. He guessed that was about the time he left to pick her up.

Thinking it over only made Charlotte infuriated. Of course she was happy that he was okay, but couldn't he have called! Instead of talking it out with Sawyer and Ben, Charlotte took a deep breath and walked out of the bedroom.

She closed the door with a hard thud and Ben grimaced, "I guess he should have called?"

Sawyer nodded and heard a few cabinets open and shut rather hardly, "Yeah."

The two of them listened to Charlotte go on in the kitchen and they winced every time they heard a bang. She was pissed.

Ben looked at Sawyer and shrugged, "Maybe I should go so you can have your...girl time."

Sawyer nodded and watched him start to get up. The room was still pretty dark but she could make out the design on his boxers. Popeye the Sailorman. Last night she was pretty sure she'd cared less about what was on his boxers, but seeing them this morning made her smile. He was such a big kid, goofy, and funny, and the opposite of the kind of guy she went for. They'd get on each others nerves but it would pass. Sawyer was getting used to the fact that he drove an old crappy Toyota, and Ben was realizing her bitchy, snarky attitude was actually a turn on. It didn't seem like it, and if anyone would have guessed, they would have guessed wrong, but Sawyer and Ben were pretty good together.

As he threw his shirt over his head, Ben looked at Sawyer and gave her a small smile. He walked toward her side of the bed and leaned down."I'll call you later." Sawyer nodded and then Ben quickly kissed her. "Bye."

"Bye."

Ben slipped out the door and Sawyer felt her cheeks turn as she sunk back in the pillows. As soon as she noticed the warmth, she shook her head and sighed, "Get a hold of yourself, Scott." Sawyer wasn't the kind of girl to get crushed out on anything, or _anyone_ for that matter. But Ben Trammell, he had been a surprise.

Sawyer pushed the comforter aside and started to get up. She was still halfway pissed at Charlotte for getting her up so damn early but whatever, there was nothing she could do about it now.

Cracking the door open, Sawyer walked out to the kitchen and saw that Charlotte was scrubbing dishes. It wasn't that surprising though. If something was ever on her mind and she didn't want to talk about it, she'd be doing dishes or organizing kitchen cabinets or drawers. Apparently it was something she'd gotten from her mother.

"Hey?"

Charlotte's back was to Sawyer but she heard Sawyer speak up. She turned and sighed, "I mean. I have a right to be mad, right?

"Yeah. He didn't call, that was a pretty shitty thing of him to do."

"Right!" Charlotte rinsed off the dish she had in her hand and shook her head, "And you know what the worst part is?"

Sawyer didn't really want to know. She was only there for moral support. "What?"

Charlotte put the dish up and wiped her hands off. She walked to the fridge and pointed to the invitation. "We're supposed to go to that banquet thing tomorrow and he's gonna meet my parents...while...while I'm all mad at him."

"Maybe not." Sawyer shook her head and pulled out a chair from the table. "He'll probably get you flowers and whatever, and tell you the story about not calling, and you two will go back to being Charlotte and Graham."

"I don't know, Sawyer." Charlotte looked at the ground and raised her shoulders, "I thought he was lost at sea or something. I didn't know if he was okay and I was worried about it all night." She looked over to her blue eyed friend and then sighed, "I just...he should have called."

"Yeah he should have, but at least you know he's okay."

"From Ben!" Charlotte rolled her eyes and laughed. It would have been better to hear it from Graham himself. "And sorry about that. I had no idea he was with you."

Sawyer shrugged, "Oh I don't care. Whatever. It's fine."

Charlotte laughed and decided to turn the conversation. "So how's that going, anyway?"

Not able to hide the smile, Sawyer arched her brow, "It's...different."

"Different good?" Charlotte flashed Sawyer the smirk.

"Yeah, I don't know. I mean, I don't know what we are? Are we dating? Is it casual?" Sawyer took a deep breath and laughed, "It's not like he asked me to go to that Coast Guard thing." She looked up to the invitation and shrugged.

"But you hate those types of things. Ben probably didn't ask because you would have said no." Charlotte knew that Sawyer wasn't the type to get all excited about some banquet, anniversary thing. It just wasn't her style.

Sawyer nodded, "I know." Normally she wasn't one for sit down dinners and dresses and listening to old guys go on about how great 'The Guard' was, but she was starting to wish Ben had asked her. She didn't want to keep going on about herself and Ben so Sawyer turned things back on her friend and her Coastie. "So, whatcha gonna do about the no call situation?"

Charlotte didn't know. She was about to give Sawyer an answer but her phone started to ring.

Laughing, Sawyer smiled, "Twenty bucks that's him." Charlotte got up to get her phone and saw his name flash up on screen. Sawyer could tell that Charlotte was contemplating answering the phone. "Well aren't you going to answer it. He's probably calling to tell you he's home."

"No. I don't want to talk to him right now."

Lifting her brow in confusion Sawyer didn't get Charlotte. She was mad he didn't call, but now she doesn't want to talk to him. Yeah, that made a lot of sense.

Charlotte tossed her phone on the counter and started walking toward her room. "I've gotta get dressed. I've got a few meetings at the school today so I should hop in the shower."

Sawyer nodded and watched Charlotte disappear behind the corner. She knew it was a big deal, Graham not calling. It had to be scary for Charlotte to think he wasn't okay. But good thing for Ben. He'd been the one who had the good news. Sawyer knew there was a reason she'd taken a liking to him.

**OTHOTH**

When Ben opened the door to the apartment he shared with Graham, he instantly walked to the kitchen. Graham was leaning on the counter eating a bowl of cereal and Ben couldn't help but smirk.

"You're in deep shit."

Graham laughed and shook his head, "Good morning to you too."

Ben realized that Graham was oblivious to what going on. "After you came home last night weren't you supposed to call someone?"

"Shit." Graham closed his eyes when he realized what he'd done wrong. "Charlotte. I forgot to call Charlotte." He instantly reached for his phone and hit her number without much thought. One ring, two rings, three rings. No answer. She wasn't returning his call.

"Yeah man, she was pretty upset this morning." Ben grimaced and looked at Graham, "She didn't answer did she?"

"No." Graham let out a heavy breath. "I didn't mean to forget. I was so exhausted after I got back that I fell asleep." He shook his head and rolled his eyes at himself, "Dammit."

Ben playfully grabbed his wallet and held out some money, "You might need to make a run to the the flower store."

Graham didn't appreciate the joke and swatted Ben's money away, "Whatever. I'll fix this. I have too." He paused and shook his head, "I'm meeting her parents tomorrow night at the banquet."

"Oh, that sucks. You're fighting the day before you meet her folks, nice."

"Shut up. At least I had the nerve to ask Charlotte and invite her parents. You won't even think about asking Sawyer." Graham was waiting on Ben's reply.

Ben scratched head and hesitantly laughed, "Well...well...don't make this about me and my relationship. This is all on you. You're the one who forgot to call."

Graham hung his shoulders and sighed, "I know."

"So what are you going to do about it?"

The brunette Coastie looked at his best friend and started walking out the door. "Fix it."

Graham walked out the door and toward his car. What time did flower places open? Not this early. He sat down in his car and pulled out his phone. He'd try her one more time.

After a few rings the line picked up and Graham was hopeful, "Charlotte? Hey listen..."

"Hold up. Before you start apologizing you need to know that Charlotte's in the shower and you are in the dog house."

Graham had to laugh at Sawyer. "Morning, Sawyer."

"Morning, Graham McI'm-not-gonna-call-my-girlfriend and tell her I'm safe, not at the bottom of the deep blue sea." It all came out fast and as a jumble of words but Graham caught Sawyer's drift.

"She's mad, right?"

Sawyer nodded, "Mmm-huh. Mad in the I'm gonna do dishes and organize kind of way. And in case you didn't know, that's pretty far up there on the upset level."

"I didn't mean to forget. I got home and fell asleep." Graham knew his excuse wasn't exactly solid but that's what happened.

"You don't have to explain it to me, but you gotta think about what was running through her mind. For all she knew you were shark bait." Sawyer wasn't done. "She cares too much to see you get hurt out there."

"I know. And I should have called." Graham hated that she'd been worried. It was never something he wished on Charlotte. "Should I come over?"

"Nah. She's got some meetings at school so I doubt you want to make her late for those."

No, he didn't. He didn't want her upset with him about not calling and making her late. No. "Okay so..."

Sawyer interrupted him before he could finish, "Let her go about her day, get her meetings out of the way, and then around eleven she should be free. So if you want to drop by the school, that would be a good time. She'll be mad at me for telling you all that so you didn't hear it from me."

Graham laughed and mentally took notes. Eleven, Tree Hill High. Got it. "Thanks."

"Oh, and if Charlotte finds out I answered her phone she'll be pissed, so let's act like this didn't happen either."

"Okay. I can handle that." Graham nodded to himself and started his car.

Sawyer heard the old pipes turn off and her eyebrows raised, "Uh, I better go before Charlotte comes out here wondering if I'm talking to myself.

"Bye." Graham heard Sawyer whisper a soft goodbye and he laughed putting his phone down.

Sawyer had an uncharacteristic charm about her and he'd have to remember to thank her once more if everything worked out. Graham pulled out of his parking space and headed out, it was early to go to the base but he didn't have anything else to do. The florist didn't open till eight and he didn't have anything super important to do till eleven.

**OTHOTH**

It was about 10:50am and for the last three hours Charlotte had been in and out of meetings with staff and superintendents. She'd had about enough of school talk. The school year didn't even start for a couple more weeks but apparently everyone wanted to jump the gun.

It was her first real job and she really didn't have any reason to complain. She was going to get to do what she wanted. Her degree from Brown gave her the ability to not only act as the main guidance counselor for the high school but she was also getting a chance to teach an elective course, Sociology. It was pretty exciting and daunting at the same time.

She had her own office but would be sharing a classroom with a woman named Rhonda when it came time for her class. It was fine though, at least she'd have her counseling office. Haley had come to the school last week to help get Charlotte's office in order and it looked great. The little space didn't seem so little and Charlotte was admiring her wall décor when the phone range.

It was her office phone so she was a bit startled, "Hello?"

"Testing. Testing. If you are able to hear this please press one." A stranger's voice echoed in her hear and Charlotte pressed one. The line disconnected and Charlotte put the phone up.

"That was weird."

This time something else caught her attention but it wasn't the phone. There was a knock on her door.

"Come in."

Expecting some colleague or maybe a janitor, Charlotte looked up and realized it wasn't any of those people.

His green eyes met her brown ones and he smiled, "Hey."

She was sitting in her chair and her eyes softened, "Hi."

Graham shut the door behind him and took a deep breath, "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to forget to call." He had a little bouquet of flowers in his hand and she knew he was there apologizing.

"I know you didn't mean to." Charlotte shook her head and watched him take a seat in the chair across from her desk, "But I was worried. I didn't know if you were okay, or if everything was alright. For all I knew you were at the bottom of the ocean."

"Charlotte, that's not gonna happen." Graham ran his hand through his thick hair and sighed, "As soon as I got home I fell asleep. I'm sorry you were so worried." He waited a minute and spoke back up. "I'm not used to having someone to call. My mom doesn't even want me to call because it makes her worry about what I've done. But I'll get used to it. If you need to know, if you want to know I'll call. After every mission as soon as I hit dry land and get my hands on a phone I'll call."

Charlotte could tell that he was genuinely sorry and she also knew that each mission was probably incredibly tiring. Graham probably did fall asleep as soon as he got home. "I just needed to know you were okay."

He nodded, "I am, and I've got the best team out there. Nothing's gonna happen."

That was all she wanted to hear. Charlotte only wanted to know that he was fine. She nodded at him and took a deep breath.

"There's something else." Graham gave Charlotte a soft smile and took the invitation from his back pocket. "I'd still like to go to this thing with you if you want to."

Charlotte watched him slide the Coast Guard banquet invitation her way and she nodded, "Of course I still want to."

Graham nervously laughed, "That's good news cause I was afraid I'd be sitting next to your parents with an empty seat beside me."

She got up out of her chair and walked to the front of her desk. Graham stood up and Charlotte smiled, "I'll be next to you."

He smiled and leaned down to kiss her. "Yeah?"

"Yep." She kissed him back and put her hands around his neck. "I don't think you'll survive Nathan Scott without me." The look on Graham's face was priceless. She'd only been kidding. "Joke." Charlotte laughed and arched her eyebrow, "That was a joke."

Graham could feel his heart start to beat again. "Ha. Funny."

"You don't have to worry about anything." Charlotte looked up to his green eyes and shook her head. "I promise."

He wasn't so sure about not worrying but he'd just have to take her word.

**OTHOTH**

It was around five the next night and Charlotte was getting ready. Last week she'd gone into Clothes Over Bro's to find a dress and with no surprise, she found one. It was black and simply shaped. Her brown hair was up in a French twist and she was trying to find her earrings.

Charlotte searched through her jewelry box and even checked the floor before she walked out to the living room. Sawyer was lying on the couch watching some VH1 'Behind the Music' special.

"Have you seen my earrings? The ones that are kinda a goldish color?"

Sawyer sat up and winced, "I think I've got them."

"Sawyer!" Charlotte furrowed her brow, "It'd be nice if you asked sometimes."

The blonde shrugged walking to her room. "You weren't here."

Charlotte followed Sawyer into her room and straight to her dresser. There was a clutter of mess piled high and Charlotte doubted they'd find what they were looking for.

"Before you start yelling, hold on, they're in here somewhere." Sawyer tossed a few things on her bed and looked through her drawers. "Maybe."

"Maybe? Liza gave me those for my birthday last year! I love those things." Charlotte wasn't exactly a fan of maybe.

"I saw them a couple days ago, so I know they are in here somewhere. Give me a sec." Sawyer stopped searching and closed her eyes thinking she could picture them in her head. She closed her eyes only so she wouldn't have to look at Charlotte and the sad 'I really really really loved those earrings. Please tell me you didn't loose them' face.

While Sawyer tried to picture where they last were, Charlotte started snooping through Sawyer's jewelry box. She had some pretty cool stuff. A pair of pale blue antiqued single beads caught her eye and she held them up.

Sawyer saw Charlotte eyeing the blue beads and narrowed her eyes, "Wait a minute."

"Oh no. You have mine, so I'm taking yours. That's a fair trade." Charlotte slid the earrings in and turned to face Sawyer, "They look good, right?"

Annoyed that she couldn't find Charlotte's earrings and that she was wearing her's, Sawyer sighed, "Yes." She glanced at the clock next to her bed and looked back to Charlotte, "So when's he coming to get you?"

Charlotte laughed because she could tell that Sawyer was annoyed. "In a little while."

Sawyer walked to her bed and laid down, "I bet your dad scares him away."

"What? Sawyer! No he won't." Charlotte turned to look at her cousin shaking her head.

"I don't know. He's pretty protective over you."

That was true but Nathan was never overly protective. Or was he? "It'll be fine. My dad won't scare Graham off."

Sawyer leaned back in her pillows and sighed, "I bet your mom will like him though. She'll probably..."

"Hug him. I know. I'll warn him before hand." Charlotte laughed because Haley probably would hug Graham. "You know I'll tell you all the details when I get home."

"I'll be waiting." Sawyer raised her eyebrows playfully and laughed, "Go fix your face before he comes over. You might scare him away before your parents do." She'd only said it to get a reaction. Charlotte didn't even need to put anything on her face. A natural beauty, Sawyer was sometimes jealous.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Thanks a lot."

"I do what I can." Sawyer got up off the bed and ushered Charlotte out of the room. "Really though, he'll probably be here soon. Grab your Altoids and double check your teeth. Nobody wants to see the spinach salad you had earlier."

Covering her mouth, Charlotte's eyes went wide. She headed to her room and went directly into the bathroom. Spinach had been a really bad idea. Notorious for sticking in peoples teeth, the leafy greens weren't the smartest choice for a snack before her date.

Luckily, Charlotte checked herself and she was green free, but flossed and brushed just in case. It was something that never hurt to do a couple times a day.

Once Charlotte was happy with her oral hygiene she walked to her room and piddled with her make-up bag. A quick brush of blush and a coat of mascara did the trick, and then she eyed her lip stick. Yes, no? Just gloss? Why were there so many options? As she picked out her colorless gloss she took note of her earrings and started to wonder if those were the best. Playing with a few other pair, Charlotte held up some others and then she heard a knock at her door.

Sawyer stuck her head in, "Graham's here."

"Alright I'll be out in just a sec." Charlotte took one last look in the mirror and quickly put her earrings back on. When she walked out she saw him. Dressed in his formal dark blue uniform complete with the white hat, he looked incredibly handsome.

Graham took notice of Charlotte's entrance and took his hat off, "Wow, you look great." Charlotte smiled and a slight blush crept across her cheeks. She'd never need to put actual blush on if she did it herself.

"Okay kids, you have fun." Sawyer ushered Graham and Charlotte out the door leaving them on the front porch.

"I didn't know you'd be wearing your uniform." Charlotte patted Graham's chest and he smiled. She did think about it, seeing him in that uniform. But seeing him in all that blue with that hat was a trip. Something she'd never get used to.

"Well it is a formal Coast Guard banquet. We're required too." He laughed and kissed her cheek, "I thought you loved the uniform?"

"I do." Charlotte flashed him the trade mark Scott smirk she'd inherited from her dad and brother, and raised her brow, "You ready?"

"Yep." Graham stuck his arm out and escorted her to his car. He opened the door for her and when he settled in they headed downtown.

"So this is an annual thing, right?" Charlotte glanced out the window then over to Graham

He nodded, "Yeah. Every year on the Coast Guard's birthday, we have this dinner and celebrate the glory days. The food's always great and the band is normally really good."

"So I might be dancing on these heels?" Charlotte laughed and cocked her brow.

Graham looked at her and nodded, "If you want."

That was something they hadn't done. Dance. It was going to be interesting. Dancing together, actual dancing, could in many ways be described as one of the most intimate things a couple could do. The closeness, the simple proximity of the two bodies would say a lot.

Right before they turned into the parking deck Graham cleared his throat, "So your dad. He's a nice guy?"

Charlotte laughed, "The nicest. He's big and tall but not as intimidating as you'd think, and my mom will probably hug you cause that's just how she is."

Graham sighed in relief. He was actually semi familiar with Nathan because he was a basketball fan, but he'd never thought that he'd actually meet him one day, let alone date his daughter. He wasn't really that nervous. Okay, maybe he was. But he shouldn't be. If Nathan and Haley Scott were anything like Charlotte he knew he'd get along with them just fine.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte and Graham had been inside for about ten minutes when her parents pulled up to the building. Haley stepped out of the car and took Nathan's hand in hers as they walked into the civic center.

She could feel the coolness of his palm against hers and she looked up to him, "You shouldn't be worried."

Nathan used his finger to pull at the collar of his shirt, "I'm not worried."

Haley laughed, "Honey, I can feel it in your hand, and you just tugged on your shirt like you needed some air."

"I'm fine." Nathan looked sternly down at Haley and she tried to hide the smile that flashed across her face.

"What ever you say."

When they entered the ballroom there were tons of people scattered about the room. There were tables set up at one end of the room while a house band was set up at the other.

Charlotte and Graham were talking with some of Graham's Coast Guard buddies when Haley spotted Charlotte. The two matching brown eyes met and Charlotte waved them over.

Haley looked up to Nathan and smiled, "Ready?"

He didn't have a choice. "Yeah."

The two made their way over to their daughter and got a good look at the boy she'd been dating.

"Mom, Dad." Charlotte looked at her parents then turned to the man in uniform and smiled, "This is Graham." She glanced at her boyfriend then back to her parents, " Graham, this is my mom Haley, and my dad Nathan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you both. I'm Graham McFarland." He stuck out his hand but immediately took it back when he remembered what Charlotte said about her mom.

Haley took a step forward, and just as Charlotte has said, Haley hugged Graham. "It's so great to meet you. Charlotte's said nothing but wonderful things about you."

Graham smiled and then looked to Nathan. He stood up a little straighter and nodded, "Mr. Scott." Graham extended his arm and shook the older man's hand. "I uh, as a kid I was a big Bobcats fan so it's a real thrill to meet you, sir."

Nathan smiled. At least Graham liked basketball. That was a plus. Nathan stuck out his hand and smiled, "Nice to meet you."

The four sat down a their respective table and Haley couldn't help but notice that Graham pulled the chair out for Charlotte. "So Graham, how was it exactly that you got into the Coast Guard?"

The young man cleared his throat, "Well, I grew up on The Outer Banks and had been a lifeguard as a teenager. My mom always said that salt water ran through my veins so when it came time for college I couldn't think of a better place than the academy."

Charlotte could tell by the looks on her parents' faces that they were impressed. The guy didn't just join the Coast Guard, he went to the academy too.

Nathan admired the guy. Graham made a living doing something he loved. In a sense they were a lot alike. Being in the ocean for Graham was probably like being on the basketball court for Nathan.

"So what is it you do exactly?" Nathan took a sip of his water and looked at the guy across from him.

"I majored in naval architecture and marine engineering, but I'm classified as a rescue swimmer. I also take patrols with the Diligence every once in a while." Graham took a deep breath. He watched Mr. Scott's reaction wondering if it was going to be good enough for his daughter.

Haley smiled, "You know, Nathan's got a boat. Maybe the two of you could go fishing or something."

Graham nodded, "Yeah, that'd be fun." Graham looked to the girl at his side, "I've met your son, Jamie. Maybe the three of us could make it a guys trip."

Nathan nodded his head, a guys trip could be fun. But instead of three they could make it four. Jamie did have a little boy after all. Just after Nathan nodded waiters began to place food in front of everyone. The group went on to discuss random other topics where Nathan and Haley learned a little more about the boy dating Charlotte. He was twenty six, just three years older than Charlotte, refurbished old wooden boats as a hobby, had one older sister and one younger brother, and like he'd said, was from The Outer Banks. Kill Devil Hills to be more specific.

While Graham talked about his history and got to know her parents, Charlotte looked at him with warm eyes. He was nervous but you wouldn't have been able to tell. He was polite and kind and everything she'd expected of him. It wasn't an act and it wasn't for show. Graham was being Graham and she was pretty sure her parents liked him.

**OTHOTH**

As the waiters cleared the food, and after any and all speeches were given, people made their way to the dance floor.

Graham looked at Charlotte and tilted his head toward the music, "Wanna dance?"

She smiled and nodded, "Yeah."

"If you'll excuse us." Graham looked to Charlotte's parents and took her by the hand.

They walked to the dance floor leaving Nathan and Haley at their table.

"So?" Haley looked at her husband with a raised eye.

He shook his head, "You know I'm not good at dancing."

"No, not that. What do you think about Graham?"

"Oh. He seems like a good guy."

Haley smiled and nodded, "See you had nothing to be worried about. He's very intelligent, polite, funny, and even a North Carolina boy."

Nathan thought about it and Graham was a perfectly decent guy. He'd made something out of himself in the Coast Guard, and in Nathan's mind, found himself a pretty good girl. He took a deep breath and looked to Haley, "But the whole jumping out of helicopters thing is kind of worrisome."

Haley sighed, "I know, but we can't fault him for his job."

"You're right, it's just, what if something happened to him. Don't you see the way he looks at her, and how she looks at him. I don't want her to end up getting hurt."

Haley stood up and put her napkin down. She extended her hand, "Come here."

Nathan arched his brow and didn't move from his seat.

"Come on." Haley wiggled her hand out and he reluctantly took it. She led them to the sea of people on the dance floor.

"Haley..." Nathan began.

"Just dance with me." She wrapped one arm around his back while the other clutched his hand. She rested her cheek on his suit jacket then looked up to him, "You know what my dad said to my mom about me marrying you?"

Nathan smirked, "Some joke about teenage marriages?"

Haley smiled and shook her head, "No, that he was worried how things would end up. What might happen to me if we didn't work out. Nathan, it's the same thing you're doing."

"I didn't know that?" Nathan looked down to Haley.

Haley let out a small laugh and smiled, "Most dad's don't tell their son-in-laws their every worry."

Haley ran her hand up and down Nathan's back, "But you know what. We turned out fine." She paused and then began again, "And I'm not saying Graham and Charlotte are meant to be or that they're not, it's just you've got to let her go sometime."

Nathan felt a sharp pain run through his chest at Haley's words. As much as he didn't want to hear it, it was true. They'd let Jamie go. He was already married, and had a family of his own. Nathan had seen how much it had affected Haley and now it was his turn. He glanced at his daughter who was dancing ten yards away. She looked happy and that should be the only thing that mattered. He took a deep breath and nodded to himself. It was the only thing that mattered.

Charlotte could see her parents swaying to the music and not only did she smile because her father was dancing, but because she knew what they were talking about. Graham. From everything Charlotte could read, they liked him. First impressions are always a big deal and she was pretty sure Graham had passed the test.

"How am I doing?" Graham looked down at Charlotte and over to her parents.

She looked down at their feet and smiled, "No broken toes."

He laughed, "I didn't mean about dancing."

"I know." Charlotte looked to her parents and up to him. "I don't think you have anything to worry about."

Graham felt a rush of relief swell in his chest. "They're really nice." Graham hesitated before he continued, "Your parents, I mean."

Charlotte didn't need to be told that. After spending twenty plus years with Nathan and Haley Scott she knew there was no other way to describe them. Charlotte looked to Graham and playfully smiled, "Well I'm glad you like them."

The song ended but another one began. It was slower and softer. A few of the couples parted ways but Graham held Charlotte close. It was almost as if he was asking her for another dance and the way she leaned into him told him her answer was yes. She rested her cheek on his shoulder and took a breath. She loved the way his hands felt on her body, how they moved together and the way he smelled. Charlotte felt silly for noticing all those things, but she couldn't help it.

Graham didn't want it to stop. Charlotte fit perfectly and he was sure that she could feel his heart racing. Her cheek was just below his shoulder and he could smell her shampoo. The tiny space between them had to be one thousand degrees. The fire they were both feeling through their veins told them each that this was going well.

They'd dance through the song and then made their way back to the table. It wasn't long after they'd sat down when one of Graham's buddies came over and told him it was time for the district picture.

"I'll be back in a minute." He looked at Charlotte and excused himself.

Charlotte watched him get up and then turned to her parents. She didn't need to ask the question because they already knew what it entailed.

"He's great, Charlotte." Haley smiled at her daughter and nodded.

Nathan had to agree. "He's a nice guy."

Haley glanced to Nathan and knew that he'd want to talk it over with Charlotte so she got up from her chair, "I saw an old neighbor back there, so I'm going to go say hello."

Charlotte knew it was an out so she watched her mother get and up looked at her father, "He's a nice guy, but..." There had to be a catch.

"I want you to be careful." Nathan swallowed hard, "This job. It's dangerous. Graham might be a good swimmer but..."

Dad..." Charlotte appreciated the thought but he didn't need to worry too. "It'll be fine."

She seemed so sure. So positive that nothing could happen. Nathan wasn't trying to be a downer but the thought of this boy, this guy she obviously cared about, going out to sea and never coming back was problematic. Why couldn't Graham be an accountant or mechanic? "Char..."

"I know." Charlotte didn't want to hear it. There was always going to be a possibility but it wasn't something she wanted to talk about or think about. She'd already had one scare and that was simply Graham not calling. Charlotte didn't want to think of other scenarios. She loved her father for caring so much,she did.

Instead of keeping on track and going on about Graham's job, Nathan changed the subject, "You really like him?"

"I do." There were no other words she could say.

Nathan simply nodded and smiled at his daughter. There was no picking or choosing about who or why your daughter liked who she did. It just happened. Nathan didn't not like the guy, but he would worry about his little girl as long as he could. It was just how it worked.

**OTHOTH**

The festivities died down and the civic center started to empty after a while. Nathan and Haley, and Charlotte and Graham were all walking out together.

Haley turned to Graham and smiled as the two couples stopped, "It was really great to meet you and this was a wonderful event."

"Thank you. I'm glad you could come, and it was nice to meet you as well."

Nathan nodded and extended his hand. "It was, and it was nice to meet you."

Graham shook Nathan's hand and watched as Charlotte hugged her mom.

"Bye, I'll call you tomorrow. We're still on to go see Claire, right?" Charlotte hoped that was still the plan.

"Yes." Haley nodded and smiled at Charlotte.

The girl then turned her attention to her father and hugged him, "Night, Dad."

"Night, Charlotte."

They all made their ways to their respective cars and while Charlotte and Graham walked to his Tahoe, she leaned into him. "That went well."

Graham wrapped one arm around her and nodded, "It did."

Charlotte nodded and then took his hand in hers, "Let's walk down the River Walk." He wasn't going to object. The more time with her the better.

It wasn't far but Charlotte did take her heels off. She wasn't exactly a fan of walking around barefoot but she knew her feet would thank her later. She looked up to him and admired all the blue. He had fancy buttons and patches, and she was curious about them all. One day when they had time, she'd get him to tell her about all his insignia's and what they were for. For now she was perfectly comfortable walking by his side.

Reaching up to his hat, Charlotte put it on her own head and looked up, "Good look, right?"

It was. It was one of those images that he'd never forget. If someone had a camera he'd want a picture. "Yeah."

Charlotte tilted the thing and furrowed her brow, "It's not very comfortable."

Graham laughed and shook his head, "No but it looks good."

She curved her mouth into a smile and slowly took the cap off. Charlotte took a step closer to her and had to really get up on her tiptoes considering she was shoeless.

He laughed at her height but kissed her anyway. "You're a lot shorter without those shoes."

"I know. Apparently I got my height from my mom."

"I kind of like it." Graham looked down to her and nodded.

"Oh, do you?"

Graham smiled and kissed her again, "I do."

They were both smiling at each other and then walked closer to edge of the river. The sound of the moving water was comforting and they both felt right at home.

"You'll always be safe out there?" Charlotte hadn't meant to bring it up, but it just sort of happened.

Graham turned her body so she was facing him and nodded, "Everyday." He hesitated a moment. "I know me being in the Coast Guard isn't exactly ideal..."

"No, no, it's not that." Charlotte shook her head, "I love what you do, I just worry. I can't help it."

He looked her hard in the eyes an put both of his hands on her sides, "I'll always be safe and I'll always come home."

Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded. That was all she wanted. She turned her look of worry into a smile and nodded, "I'm gonna hold you to that, Graham McFarland."

"Alright. Wanna shake on it?" He extended his hand and laughed.

Sliding her hand into his, Charlotte shook his hand and for whatever reason that made it all okay. She had Graham's word, his trust, his shake. He was going to be just fine out on the open sea.

After their shake they walked down the old wooded planks and Charlotte looked to Graham. "You have any stories?"

Laughing, Graham smiled at her, "What kind of story you wanna hear?"

It didn't matter. One about the sea or the stars, the tides, or the moon. Whatever was fine. Graham cleared his throat and started to tell the tale of Atlantis. The real story.

Next to each other, strolling hand in hand, Charlotte knew that things were good between them. Her parents approved and while that was important it wasn't everything. Nights like this, and the little moments when they'd talk were the parts that got Charlotte. Those were the times she'd fall harder and further for Graham. Charlotte was falling for him like skydiver out of a plane and she wasn't planning on pulling the chute anytime soon.

**OTHOTH**

**So for those of you who read ch. 25 of Little Moment you were probably all very familiar with this one. So if you felt like you knew everything, sorry. Next chapter will be something new! How are my Sawyer and Ben fans doing? Love them together? Hate them together? Let me know what you guys think...it'll help me decide what I want out of them. And on that topic, what do you all want to see next? I'm thinking the sailing trip might be in high demand?**

**My reviewers have been great and I sincerely appreciate the feedback. Knowing that you guys love the story really means the world and if I could update everyday I would. You guys deserve it.**

**MagicalNaley23: I'm glad you liked the pipe leak last chapter. I thought that would be a funny thing to add in there. Sawyer and Peyton are very much alike so I can see how you picture Sawyer as her mother. I think it's good that you can differentiate between Charlotte and Haley. Jamie's reaction to Graham's shirt was something I knew I wanted in there so I'm glad you like how it all played out. There will be a Sawyer/Jamie scene coming up. If it's not the next chapter, it will probably be the next one. I know you wanted a fight and this chapter kind of included a fight, sort of. **

**Always and Forever: Jamie finding out about Charlotte having one of Graham's shirts was something I thought people would like to see, so I'm glad you liked it. I hope you liked the meeting and how Ben was featured.**

**Please review guys! I'd really appreciate suggestions, feedback, anything!**


	7. The Only Exception

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 7: The Only Exception**

**Disclaimer: Nope. I don't own anything related to OTH. Bummer.**

**A/N: So do you guys hate me? I hope not. I know the break between last chapter and this one was WAY too long and I do apologize. And like I said in my author's notes for the other two stories, if you read my profile you know I was super busy. Not to mention, I had a rough, _rough_, Friday night. Sorry for the extra delay. Classes have started back up and I'm getting back into the routine of things and hopefully I will be able to maintain a consistent updating pattern. I'm really gonna try. But anyways, this chapter has been long awaited (at least the first part) so I hope you all enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

It was late September and while Fall was rolling in, most of the time it still felt like Summer. The sun still wore it's heat on high and the breeze smelled of salt and freshly cut grass. The coast would still be crowded with beach goers but Charlotte wasn't going to the beach. Charlotte and Graham were going sailing.

They'd already tried this once. The first time, Charlotte had made it to the marina and even stepped aboard his 17ft Cape Cod Cat, but a favor phone call ruined their little sailing adventure. But this time, this time things were going to work out. Graham was on his way to pick her up and _they were_ gonna set that sail and glide across the sea.

Charlotte had always liked the water. She liked it from the ocean, the Cape, out of the clouds, a bottle, and even the tap. So this sailing excursion would probably add to her adoration. And it was probably gonna help that she'd be with Graham.

"Hey?" Sawyer walked out of her bedroom to the kitchen. "Don't fall overboard alright."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded and took a sip of her coffee. "I'll try not to." She laughed again and bit her lip. Charlotte didn't necessarily want to fall overboard but Graham was in the Coast Guard. He'd save her. It might be kind of nice to see him in that rescue swimmer mode.

Sawyer grabbed a Pop-Tart and a glass of orange juice. "How long are you two gonna be gone? We're still on for dinner, right?"

"Yeah. I think he's gonna get me back here around six so I can change. Have you and Ben talked about where we should go?" Charlotte looked over to Sawyer curiously. The two couples were going out together and none of them had decided where they wanted to eat.

Taking a bite of her strawberry breakfast, Sawyer shook her head, "No, we can never pick a place. She shook her head again and rolled her eyes, "He wants seafood and I want Mexican. I settle for shrimp and then he wants fajitas. We're impossible."

Charlotte started to laugh. It couldn't be that impossible. Sawyer and Ben had been going strong for about seven weeks. They weren't impossible. The younger Scott looked out the window and then back to her friend, "Maybe Graham and I can come up with a place."

"Sure, that works. Just not Reel or Dock's. I think I've been there about a thousand times this month."

Nodding, Charlotte could handle that. "Alright, no Dock's or Reel Cafe, got it."

"And I'm not feeling very pasta-e either."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte nodded, "Well I don't think I can find a place that's got Pop-Tarts on the menu but we'll see." Watching Sawyer eat that breakfast food was hysterical. What was she, seven?

Sawyer looked down to her scrumptiously delicious breakfast, "Hey! These are good!"

"For kids." Charlotte smiled and held up her English muffin. "Don't you think it's time to move onto a more mature breakfast?"

"No. And we both know you're way more mature than I'll ever be, so Pop-Tarts will remain a staple in my diet until my butt starts to sag. Then I'll think about switching to something else." The things that Sawyer said made Charlotte laugh out loud.

Pouring out the last sips of her coffee and brushing off her hands, Charlotte grabbed her purse and looked toward the door. Graham had just pulled up. "I'll see you later."

Sawyer held up her Pop-Tart and gave Charlotte a sarcastic smile, "Bye."

The younger brunette walked to the front door and when she opened it Graham smiled. He was about halfway down the walkway when she came outside.

"Hey. I was just coming in to get you."

Charlotte nodded, "I saw you pull up."

"You ready?" Graham had a habit about asking that. He knew she was always ready to go, but he did it anyways.

"Mmm-huh."

They walked down the little path together and then Graham opened up her door. As she stepped up into his car he noticed what she was wearing. The brown tank top brought out her eyes and those Top-Siders had to be a new. They almost matched his. Both of them Bluefish, but hers were dark leather and his were beige.

"Nice shoes."

Charlotte looked down and felt a little embarrassed. "I thought I might need some sailing shoes. The guy at the store told me Sperry was the go-to brand."

Graham nodded, "He told you right." He smiled and walked around to get into the driver's side.

"So do you have any idea about where you wanna eat tonight? Sawyer and Ben managed to figure out nothing."

Laughing, Graham started the car. Decision making had never been Ben's forte. "Uh, no, what do you want?"

"I don't know?" Charlotte clicked her seat belt and shrugged, "I know Sawyer likes Mexican so what if we go to K-38?"

Graham loved that place. They had the best fish tacos around. "Ben and I could eat ten of those mahi tacos."

Impressed by the big number, Charlotte arched her brow, "Ten? I think I could match you."

"Is that a dare, Charlotte Scott?"

She better say no because there was no way she was going to be able to out eat her boyfriend. "No, just thought I'd throw that out there." Smiling and ulling out her phone, Charlotte texted Sawyer. _K-38?._

Graham turned toward the ocean and then looked at Charlotte, "So sailor, you ready to get your feet wet today?"

"Am I? Should I have worn flip flops or something?"

He laughed and shook his head, "No, I didn't mean it like that. You know, it's your first time sailing...getting your feet wet."

"Oh. Ha, yeah." For being and Ivy League girl, Charlotte definitely had her Nathan Scott moments. Her Haley James brain sometimes forgot to turn on. Funny thing though, it was really only around Graham. "Your gonna have to teach me how to do everything. I'm gonna be lost when you start yelling to pull this rope and tie the other."

"It's pretty easy. You'll get the swing of it really quickly." He had no doubt that Charlotte would catch on to sailing.

Her phone buzzed and she checked her new message. _Hell yes! Margarita time!_ Charlotte laughed and Graham raised his eyebrows, "Sawyer?"

"Yeah. Someone's excited about Margarita time."

Graham's eyes bugged, "Oh great. Tonight should be interesting."

Yes. Neither of them knew how true Graham's words would be. But none of it would have to do with Sawyer. Okay, maybe a little, but for the most part, it was gonna be Charlotte and Graham's night _and_ day that would interesting.

**OTHOTH**

The marina was relatively quiet for such a beautiful day. The blue skies were out in full force and the water had an extra hint of green. The wind moved Charlotte's hair off her shoulder's and she suddenly got nervous. What if she was in the way? What if she did something wrong? It wasn't like sailing was easy. There was a lot to it. There were tons of ropes, ties, boards, and strings that had to be tended to.

They were walking down the wooden docks, and as the young couple got closer to Graham's slip, he looked at her with a smile. "You don't have to be worried, it's really easy once you get the hang of it." How did he know she was anxious? Could he already read her?

Charlotte looked up to his sea green eyes and nodded. The way he smiled, the way he looked, everything was going to be fine. There was nothing for her to worry about.

When they both got up to old Banyan, Graham held out his hand, "Here. It's a steep step down."

Tightly grasping his had, Charlotte stepped down into the boat and looked around. It looked the same as it did when they'd try to do this before.

"We gotta pull up the mainsail. Will you help me?"

Of course she was gonna help. "Yeah, what do I need to do?" She set her bag in the cabin and turned to him wondering.

He started to explain and show her how to unroll the sail and then they walked up to the mast. Graham held out the mainsail and slid it through the right slot. "What you need to do is press your fingers here..." Graham showed her the exact place and nodded, "...so as I pull, it goes up straight and smooth."

"Here?" Charlotte raised her hands to the mast and looked at him curiously.

His hands covered her and he moved them up the mast a bit. "Right here."

There was no denying the fire Charlotte was feeling in her hands. "Alright."

Graham hopped down to the stern side deck and grabbed a hold of one of the many ropes. "Up and out."

That must have been code for something because he started to pull and the large white sail started going up. It seemed never ending and Graham was putting some serious effort into it. He looked good doing it though. His red t-shirt was bunching at his shoulders with each pull, but Charlotte didn't mind the view.

Once it was fully hoisted, Charlotte noticed the small dark green letters at the corner. _MGM. _Charlotte knew enough to figure out those were his initials. "Michael?"

He'd been tying up the rope and looked to her with a raised brow, "What?"

"These are your initials right?" Charlotte pointed to the letters.

"Oh, yeah." Graham got up and walked closer to her. "My mom and dad got me these sails for my birthday a few years ago. My mom thought it would be nice to have a little something at the bottom."

"So is it Michael? Michael Graham McFarland?"

Shaking his head, Graham started a new task. "Nope."

"Mitchell?" That should have been her first guess. It was his dad's name.

"Ugh-uh." He pulled the smaller jib sail up and turned around. "Want me to tell you?"

Charlotte knew that the game could last forever. He could have had one of those weird first names. She nodded waiting for an answer.

"Matthew." Graham tightened up the jib line and slipped it through the cleat. "Nothing fancy." He stood up and looked at her, "What about you, Scott?" As he glanced her way he tried to figure out if Charlotte was her middle or first name. "What are your initials?"

"CMS." She raised her brows with a smile. "Looks like we got an M in common."

Graham nodded and laughed, "But I doubt your name is Charlotte Matthew Scott."

"No, but I do have an uncle named Matt."

Pulling the docking stern line from it's knot, Graham narrowed his eyes, "M, huh?"

"Yep." Charlotte was closer to the bow line and she took it upon herself to untie.

"Margaret?" He watched as Charlotte pulled the bow line in and guessed again. "Mary?"

She was pretty certain he wasn't going to get it. After she wrapped the line up she turned to him with a smile. "Mae."

"Is that right?" Crossing his arms, Graham said it with a laugh.

"It was my great-grandmother's name."

Graham walked closer to her and arched his brow, "Well I think you're a lot more of a sailor than you think, Charlotte Mae Scott."

"And why's that?"

Graham ducked into the cabin and pulled out an orange life jacket. He walked over to Charlotte and slipped it over her head. "You know what these are called?"

"Life jackets?" Charlotte looked to him with a smile.

His hands were still holding the ends of the jacket and he pulled her closer. "Yeah, but another name for them is a _Mae_ West."

They were just inches away from each other now and Charlotte suddenly didn't give a damn about the life jacket. Those green eyes were captivating and she wanted to kiss him. She needed to kiss him.

Before succumbing to temptation, Charlotte kinked her eyebrow and laughed, "So my name, it must be a sign right? You're a sailor, Mae's my middle name, and..."

He didn't need for her to finish. Graham crashed his lips on her and he found himself completely caught up in the moment. It probably was a sign. No, it wasn't probably a sign, it was.

They came up for air and Graham smiled, "It's definitely a sign." Charlotte's cheeks were in the midst of turning and hopefully it wouldn't be too noticeable. Graham looked at Charlotte in her life jacket, and shook his head. "You won't have to wear that the whole time. It's just it might be rough out there, and I'd rather be safe than sorry."

Charlotte patted her Mae West and shrugged, "No, yeah, it's fine. I'd rather be safe too."

"I'm gonna start up the trolling motor so we can putt out of the marina and then we'll be good to go." Graham moved toward the back of the boat and flipped a switch. "It'll take a little while cause this thing only goes about five miles an hour."

She didn't mind. "Alright."

The boat started to move and Charlotte got nervous again. But this time is was an excited nervous. The kind of nervousness she always got around Graham. She'd been a little worried before about knots and lines and sails, but when she looked to the guy sitting on the back of the boat, Charlotte knew things were going to be just fine.

While they slowly crept out of the no-wake zone, Charlotte ducked into the cabin and got a little bit more sunscreen. She knew she'd need it while they were out riding the wind.

"Graham? Charlotte stuck her head out of the cabin and held out the lotion. "You need some?"

He nodded and caught the tube of Coppertone she threw his way. After he applied an ample amount of UVA/UVB protection, Graham tossed it back. "Thanks."

Charlotte smiled and steadied herself before walking back toward Graham. She sat down next to him and when he turned her way, she noticed the white smear just above his left eyebrow. Without thinking about it, Charlotte wiped away the extra lotion and Graham couldn't help but close his eyes at her touch. It was going to be a long day of sailing if they kept it up.

"Wanna learn how to sail now?"

"Yeah, teach me everything you know." Charlotte eagerly smiled and watched as Graham turned off the trolling motor. They'd gotten out of the marina just far enough to get started.

He reached out and took hold of the boom. "This guy is gonna be your worst enemy if you aren't careful. Each time we turn or if the wind catches us in an updraft he'll swing without warning and nail you. And it hurts." The worried look on Charlotte's face made him continue. "But I'll give you a warning and hopefully we won't have any accidents."

Mentally taking notes, Charlotte got the picture. Stay away from the boom. He hurts.

"Now these ropes. These control the tension. I'll be handling these if it's too windy or if you don't want to." He pulled on the set to show what they did and Charlotte watched as the sails started to move.

She looked down just behind her and noticed the wooden handle, "What's this do?"

"Good question. Go ahead and pull on it."

Charlotte did and she figured out quickly what it was for. "This controls the rudder?"

The fact that she was boat-lingual was something Graham would never get used to. "Yeah, it's the till extension. Pull right to go left, and left to go right."

"Oh gosh, that might be hard to get straight for a while."

He shook his head, "You'll be surprised. It comes much more natural than you might think."

"So what else?" Charlotte was ready now.

There wasn't a whole lot else to discuss. Most of it could be taught as they went. "I think we're good to go. You ready?"

"Yes!"

Graham laughed at her enthusiasm. "Sail away." He pulled a few lines and the mainsail tightened up.

Charlotte watched in detail how everything worked. It was amazing. Ships used to sail like this across the ocean for thousands and thousands of miles.

"Heads up, the boom's about to swing."

Graham ducked first and then Charlotte. It swung over their heads and Charlotte started to laugh. "That thing could knock someone out."

"I know. That's why you gotta be careful."

The boat tilted on it's side and Graham took Charlotte's hand. "Unless you want to get wet, we gotta sit on the high side." He had to yell a little bit because the noise from wind coupled with the wash from the waves was getting loud. "It'll plane out in a little bit."

Charlotte was holding on tight to the edge of the sailboat. If she wasn't gripping it so hard she may have fallen off. But at the same time it was both exhilarating and frightening.

Graham felt the boat start to ease out of it's position so he moved down from the lip. "This get's easier to figure out."

"I like it. It keeps me on my toes." Charlotte scooted down and leaned over to feel the water rush over her hand. "So how did you get into sailing?"

"Funny story." Graham laughed shaking his head. "My sister, Lane, was about fourteen and had a sleep over with a bunch of her friends. And well they were all watching Jaws two." He shook his head because he knew it sounded strange. "And I was the annoying little brother spying on his older sister's friends. But the part when Brody's son goes sailing came on and from then on I kept my eyes on the screen"

Charlotte laughed, "So the sailing scenes took you away from the girls?"

"I was only eleven then. If I had been fifteen, I'm sure I wouldn't have cared about a boat, but that was the start of it. I knew I wanted to start sailing after that... Not with shark infested waters but, you know."

"Well I'd hope not." Charlotte laughed and shook her head. She watched him smile and Charlotte leaned back, "So how many of those girls did you end up taking out to sea?"

It was a simple answer. "None of them." He laughed and shrugged. "It was a no girls allowed type thing for a while. My mom and sister are the only girls who've been out on it. But they're family."

"And I'm and exception?"

Charlotte was the _only_ exception. "Yeah. Besides my brother and dad, Ben and the captain of my chopper are the only others who've really been on it."

Graham certainly knew all the right things to say. But it wasn't just that he was saying them. It was the actual truth. Charlotte Scott wasn't just another girl he was taking out on his boat. She was the only one.

He got up and pulled on the jib line letting the tension out and Charlotte had to catch her breath. Obviously Graham cared about her a lot. It was a good thing too. Charlotte didn't want to be alone in that department.

She watched him tighten up the line and she rested her elbow on the back stern. But what she didn't realize was when she did that she'd moved the till extension. The sailboat started to turn and that meant the boom was about to change directions too.

"Graham! Watch ou..."

It was too late before he saw it to do anything. The wooden post flung around the mast and made hard contact with his right side.

Charlotte had to duck and missed the whole thing but when she heard the splash she knew he'd fallen in. "Oh God! Graham?" What did she do know? She had about as much sailing experience as a man from the desert. "Graham?"

Submerged under the Atlantic, Graham started to swim for the surface but his right side felt like it had been run over by a bus. He pushed through the pain and broke the surface. He took a few deep breaths and saw his sailboat and Charlotte going in the opposite direction. "The anchor. Pull the anchor, Charlotte!"

Panicked, Charlotte searched the boat for the anchor and hit what she thought was the correct lever. Nope. The jib swung to the left and she had to duck to get out of the way. "Shit. Oh my God. What do I do? What do I do? Are there breaks on this thing?" She knew there weren't but what was she supposed to do?

Tearing off her life jacket, Charlotte threw it as far as she could hoping that would be useful.

Graham was bobbing up and down and couldn't tell what was going on, but he started to slowly swim toward the orange flotation device.

"Ah, there it is!" Charlotte was speaking loudly to herself as she eyed the anchor lever. Dropping it, she looked back at Graham and then hurried over to tiller. "Left is right, or right is right, left? Ugh!" It didn't really matter which direction she came from, as long as she turned back toward Graham, that was all that mattered.

With the anchor sinking toward to bottom, Charlotte figured that turning the boat around wouldn't be such a bad idea. She wouldn't get far, but it would be the right direction.

Deciding on the left, Charlotte pulled hard and watched as the boat started to slowly turn. She ducked from the boom and tried to straighten out when she got turned around.

While the boat drifted his way, Graham started swimming hard and fast because he knew that they might miss each other. Charlotte and the boat may have been anchored but the current could take him any which way. "Get that rope and throw it at me when you can."

Rope? There were about a thousand ropes. Which one was he talking about. Charlotte picked up one and quickly realized it was connected to something that didn't need to tossed out. "Which rope?"

"The one..." A wave drowned his sentence so he spit out the water to continue, "The one tied to the back right cleat."

"Back right. Back right." Charlotte looked down and saw it. "Got it."

Graham swam faster and was only about fifteen yards away. "Toss it."

"Now?"

"Yeah." He held out his hand and prayed that he would be able to get it.

Charlotte took a deep breath and hopped that she would get it close enough. The rope went flying through the air and she'd closed her eyes momentarily. Did he get it? Charlotte opened her eyes and saw Graham holding the rope and pulling himself in.

The right side of his rib cage felt like it was permanently indented but he found the strength to pull himself up to the boat.

"Here, take my hand. I'll pull you up."

Graham wasn't so sure she'd be able to pull him up but he took her hand nonetheless. And surprisingly, Charlotte was a lot stronger than she looked.

He got aboard and sat down. Soaked to the bone, Graham looked up to those brown eyes and smiled, "I told you that boom was a troubled guy."

"I'm so sorry. I accidentally made the boat turn and my warning was too late. Are you okay? I really..."

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

Charlotte wasn't so sure. He'd been grimacing the whole time. She watched him ring out his shirt and then looked around the boat "And then I couldn't figure out where the anchor was and all the ropes started confusing me..."

Graham stood up and shook his head. "Are you kidding. You did great. I don't think there's a first time sailor that could have done a better job."

She was about to get a little misty eyed with that. "And you're sure you're okay?"

He nodded and lifted up his shirt. There was a thick red line that would turn into a nasty bruise in a couple hours but right now it didn't look too bad. "Yeah. I'm fine." He laughed and smiled her way, "I guess one of us was bound to fall in."

Charlotte let out a small laugh and ran the topside of her hand over her brow, "Yeah but I thought it was gonna be me. I bet Sawyer even had money on it."

Laughing, Graham nodded, "I bet she did." He wiped his face and licked his salty lips, "You know, I think this is the first time someone's ever knocked me off my own boat."

That made Charlotte feel bad. "I really..."

"It'll make for a good story."

He was good at that. Not only did he maker her feel better but Graham was quite the story teller. Bennet would probably love to hear this one. Or better yet, Sawyer and Ben would get a kick out of it too.

"You'll have to tell them tonight."

Graham nodded and pulled the mainsail tight. The rest of their little adventure would be accident free. But that wouldn't be the end of it. The day was still young and if him falling overboard was an indicator of the rest of the day, that night was going to be very, very interesting.

**OTHOTH**

The day on the water had come and gone and everything went sailingly. Pun intended. And other than Graham's incident with the boom, there were no other injuries, or men overboard. In fact, everything had gone really well.

It had been about an hour since Graham had dropped Charlotte off and she was finishing up getting ready. They were just going to K-38 so the simple emerald dress from Clothes over Bros would work just fine. It wasn't fancy but it wasn't sweat pants either.

She was trying to figure out what to do with her hair when the front door opened.

Sawyer peeked her head in Charlotte's room and sighed, "Do I have time to take a shower?"

"Where have you been? I was starting to think I was just gonna meet you all over at the guys' place."

Sawyer huffed and flopped down on Charlotte's bed, "Ugh, Mom had this new band come and sing, and I had to be there to cosign if they were any good." Her tone already sounded like she'd been annoyed by the whole thing. "Then about thirty songs later, Mom decides she needs more than just _my_ opinion so _your_ mom came in. The session ended up lasting about three hours longer than it needed to."

"Well were they any good?"

The blonde Scott sat up and nodded, "Yeah, they were."

Charlotte smiled as she tested her hairdos, "That's great."

The older girl rolled her eyes. Sure, it was great, but the last thing Sawyer wanted to talk about was the band or music. She needed to get up and get ready. Glancing at her cousin, Sawyer raised her lip, "You're wearing a dress? I was just gonna go with jeans. Is that bad?"

"No, it's K-38. Jeans are more than fine. I'm only wearing this because I knew you'd wear jeans and I didn't want to match."

Sawyer got up off the bed and headed toward the door. "Give me seventeen minutes and I'll be ready."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded and turned back to face the mirror. Down? Up? As the brunette studied her options she decided on wearing it down. It was a little more flirty and fun looking.

About nine minutes passed and Sawyer walked back into Charlotte's room. "Okay so I got done faster than expected. You ready to go?"

Charlotte turned around to see that Sawyer was rocking a pair of jeans, a black top that wasn't a band tee, and a her hair look liked she'd gone and spent mega bucks getting it done. How on Earth Sawyer Scott could pull herself together so quickly was not only unbelievable, but unfair. Charlotte wanted that ability. "Yeah. I'm ready."

As usual, Sawyer called out that her car was the best, so the two Scotts got in that old Volkswagen and drove to the boys apartment. Sawyer had been there twice, maybe three times, and Charlotte had seen her fair share of Graham and Ben's two bedroom over the last three or so months. About once a week Graham would have Charlotte over and cook. And not only was he a good cook, but he had excellent taste in music. Something Sawyer would probably appreciate.

Pulling into a parking space, Sawyer eagerly got out of the car and walked toward the apartment. "Come on slow poke. I'm dying for some food."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and got out of the car. "Jeez, I'm coming."

"That's what sh..."

"No." Charlotte shook her head. Sawyer had been spending a little to much time with Ben and the Coast Guard boys because they were starting to rub off on her.

"Oh, come on. It's funny."

Charlotte laughed shaking her head, "Sure Saw, sure."

Both of the girls walked up to the apartment and Charlotte opened up the door without knocking. They walked into the living room and Sawyer spotted the guitar on it's stand.

"Graham plays the guitar? You know, musicians are kind of sexy."

Laughing, Charlotte watched as Graham walked out from his room. He was sexy as is. He didn't need to throw in some musical talent for bonus. The younger Scott looked to Sawyer and smiled, "That's not Graham's, it's Ben's."

For whatever reason, Sawyer could feel her cheeks start to heat. How did she not know this? Obviously the six stringed, wooden beauty had been hidden every time she'd come over, because it was not something she'd miss.

"Hey." Graham walked over to Charlotte and kissed her on the cheek. "You look great."

"Thank you."

"Is this really Ben's?" Sawyer didn't care if she was interrupting. She'd just found out her guy was a 'musician'. Something that was always a plus in her book.

Graham looked over to the blonde and nodded, "Yeah. Has he not played for you? He's really good."

No he hadn't played for her. Was that a good or a bad thing? Did he serenade most other girls? This wasn't fair. Sawyer simply shook her head and looked back to the guitar.

"Hey Graham? You have a belt I can..." Ben walked out of his room and realized the girls were there. "Oh, hey."

Looking at his light haired friend, Graham raised his brow, "You need a belt?"

"Uh..."

Charlotte could tell that Ben was flustered. It was cute.

"Yeah, you have an extra?" Ben nodded and Graham walked toward his room. Ben followed leaving the two girls in the living room.

Flashing that Scott smirk, Charlotte looked at Sawyer, "He's crazy about you."

That may have been true, and she was crazy about him, but Sawyer was more annoyed with the fact that he hadn't played the guitar for her. "Yeah, well..."

"Oh, seriously Sawyer..." Charlotte could tell that her best friend was a little irked at the guitar thing. "I'm sure he's holding out for a reason."

"Well you got to to go out on Graham's boat." Sawyer was trying to show the comparison.

"And you know what he told me? He told me that he didn't just let anyone on the boat. Maybe Ben doesn't just play for anyone." Charlotte shrugged and tired to convince Sawyer that was the case.

Sawyer wasn't buying it though. Graham made it seem like it was weird he hadn't played for her. "Whatever. I'm over it. I'm ready for food."

Charlotte laughed and noticed the guys walking back toward them.

"Sorry, bout that." Ben looked a little embarrassed that he'd taken up some time.

Graham picked up his keys off the counter and looked at the other three, "Are we gonna all go in one car or two?"

Sawyer was the first to respond. "Two. That'll be easier won't it?"

Ben laughed and looked to the blonde, "So you wanna drive, or me?" He knew that Sawyer loved her car and more importantly, driving it.

Sawyer secretly loved the fact that he knew her love for her car but she shook her head, "You can drive." Maybe she agreed to it because she love/hated the old junky car he had, or maybe it was because she was planning on getting pretty friendly with Margarita.

Placing his hand in the small of Charlotte's back, Graham leaned close, "Come one, let's go."

The two couples made their way to the parking lot and got into their respective cars. K-38 wasn't too far away but Charlotte and Graham were gonna enjoy the car conversation none the less.

"How's your side? Is it still really sore? Charlotte glanced to Graham's ribs wondering if he'd felt better or worse.

Graham took a deep breath and looked at her. "It kind of depends on what I'm doing. I tried doing a few sit-ups and that was pretty painful."

"I'm so sorry." Charlotte honestly did feel really bad about the whole thing.

He shook his head, "It's nothing I can't handle. I'm just glad it was me instead of you. The boom might have knocked you out."

She smiled and shook her head, "That would have made for a good story."

"Oh yeah. You're in the hospital and I have to tell your dad that my sailboat boom smashed you into the water." He laughed thinking of how horrible that would be. "Good story?"

"Okay no, but it would have been memorable."

It would have been memorable, but Graham didn't need something like that to happen to remember her. Their trip today was probably going to do down as one of his favorites. How often was he going to be able to say that the girl he cared for knocked him off his boat? Probably not often. It was shaping up to be a one time thing.

**OTHOTH**

When the foursome got to K-38, they were seated close to the bar and that was thrilling for Sawyer. She'd ordered drinks for herself and Charlotte and the boys got beer. The cheese dip and salsa that were on the table was heavenly, and Charlotte could eat it all night.

A waiter approached with their drinks and Charlotte turned to Sawyer curiously, "What in the world did you order for me. I thought we were doing Margaritas?" The drink that was in front of her didn't look like a Margarita.

"Change of heart." Sawyer thanked the man as he set down her glass and smiled. "It's a Mexipolitan."

"A what?" Charlotte shook her head not knowing what it was

Ben looked at the drink and shook his head, "Is that one of those girlie drinks?"

Sawyer looked at Ben with a smirk. "You'd like it if you tried it. It's way better than that Budweiser you've got there."

Taking a sip, Charlotte could feel the immediate burn running down her throat, "Good Lord, what's in this thing."

"Mmm? A bunch of stuff. Just enjoy it." Sawyer took a sip and smiled.

Graham was curious and took a sip of Charlotte's drink. "Man, that's sweet."

"But so good!" Sawyer smiled and saw Ben reach for her glass. "Whoa..." She took her glass and shook her head. "No sip stealing from me."

"Here Ben. You wanna try it." Charlotte laughed raising her glass to him and he gladly tried the girl's drink.

"Thanks Charlotte." He narrowed his eyes at Sawyer and gave her a funny little smile. "It's pretty good Sawyer, nice choice."

"I know."

Graham was looking down at the menu and was trying to decide what he wanted. Maji tacos, grouper, tuna. All three of those sounded great. "Hey Ben? You wanna split some tacos. I can't decide which ones to get."

"Sure." This was an old practice. If the guys were ever at K-38 without a definite order, they'd always half the tacos. "Maji and tuna?"

That sounded good with Graham so while he nodded at his friends, the girls figured out what they wanted. Sawyer went with the always appetizing chicken enchilada and Charlotte, vegetable fajitas.

Ben couldn't process the fact that Charlotte didn't order her fajitas with meat. "Wait. Are you a vegetarian?" He could have sworn Graham had cooked stake one night last week for her.

Sawyer burst into laughter, "Charlotte?"

"No, I'm not." Charlotte shook her head and laughed, "I just like vegetable fajitas. I eat most everything actually."

"Not oysters." Graham eyed Charlotte with a smile.

She shook her head agreeing, "Ew, no, not oysters."

"What?" Ben had never met anyone who didn't like oysters. "Not even fried oysters?"

"No."

Sawyer sipped her drink and looked at Ben. "She says it's a texture thing."

"Do you like them?" Graham was curious and turned his attention to Sawyer. Maybe it was an overall Scott dislike.

"Oh yeah. I love em. Fried, broiled, raw, whatever."

"I'm the odd one out." Charlotte shrugged her shoulders. That may have been true but Graham liked that about Charlotte. She didn't need to be like everyone else.

Ben laughed thinking about an oyster competition they had in college and nudged Graham in his side. But before Ben started talking about their sophomore year at the Academy, he noticed Graham wince. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, that was my fault." Charlotte sighed. "When we were out sailing today I kinda knocked the till, and the boom swung around and hit him."

Sawyer's eyes went wide. "Really?"

Graham nodded, "Yeah. It flung me straight into the water."

"Nice going, Charlotte." Ben laughed and nodded, "That's something I would have paid good money to see." He turned his attention to Graham and furrowed his brow. "You think you'll be ready for the big game next week?"

"Big game?" Charlotte was curious about what Ben was talking about.

Graham nodded, "Every Fall there's a flag football game at the base. It's big competition between the units."

"Yeah, and this guy should be one of our best receivers." Ben patted Graham on the shoulder smiling.

Graham shook his head, he didn't think he was that good.

"What about you Ben? What position do you play?" Sawyer pictured him as a line man.

"Center."

Charlotte had always been a basketball girl, but football was something she could get used to. "So who normally wins?" She could imagine herself going to the game cheering Graham on.

"It flips flops. The other team might win the football game but we could come back in the Spring and win the baseball game." That probably wasn't the exactly answer Charlotte was looking for but Graham did his best. It really was a win one, lose the other kinda thing.

"Does your Dad play football, Charlotte? We could use a big name athlete." Ben looked at the brunette curiously.

Shaking her head, Charlotte took a sip of her drink, "Not really, but he might wanna play if you guys want him too."

"Oh God, I can see it now..." Sawyer looked at Charlotte laughing, "Your dad would be so funny out there."

Probably so. Nathan would either out play everybody, or be so lost and so confused that it would be hysterical watching him run around.

Graham wasn't so sure about the idea. He liked Mr. Scott, he did, but Graham wasn't that great of an athlete. What if Mr. Scott didn't want his daughter dating a third rate receiver. "I'm sure he'll be busy."

Charlotte could tell that Graham wasn't one hundred percent sold on the idea. And she didn't blame him. He was still the boyfriend and she was still Nathan Scott's little girl. It had to be intimidating.

"I'm starved. Where's our waiter?" Sawyer was growing impatient and looked around for their waiter. She finished off her drink with a smile. "I need another one of these _girlie_ drinks! And my enchilada!"

Ben, Graham, and Charlotte laughed at Sawyer, and it didn't take long before they got their food and fresh drinks. Between laughs and random conversation the group of friends ate their meal.

"Those mahi tacos really can't be beat." Graham shoved his plate a little forward because he was stuffed.

Cramming his last taco in his mouth, Ben nodded. "Yeah."

Charlotte took a sip of her water and eyed her half empty second Mexipolitan. She didn't need the rest but it sure would be good. Looking down at her full plate she glanced to the others, "Any of you want some of this? I can't finish it all."

If Charlotte was offering, then Sawyer wasn't going to object. She stuck an onion and pepper with her fork and savored the vegetables. "You cannot go wrong with this kind of food." Sawyer took the last sip of her Mexipolitan and smiled.

Patting his stomach, Ben nodded, "Now I need a nap."

A nap? Sawyer arched her brow. There would be no nap after this.

As their waiter dropped off the check, Sawyer and Charlotte started to get up. "Come on Charlotte, I want to go get a few of those mints."

Ben looked to Sawyer and laughed. The boys split the cost and headed to their dates when they'd finished paying. Ben's old 4-Runner was on the opposite side of Graham's car, so the two couples walked separately to the vehicles.

Graham opened up Charlotte's door and eyed Ben's car as he walked back to the driver's side. Charlotte did the same thing. Nobody had said where anyone was going next, so they were playing the waiting game. Graham got in the car and was stalling for time. If Ben and Sawyer drove to the left they'd be going back to the guys' place, if it was the right, it was the girls'.

"What do you think their plan is?" Ben looked out the window and then turned to Sawyer.

She was a little drunk and she got squinty eyed as she looked over to where Graham's car was. "I don't know. Why don't we see which direction they go." Both Sawyer and Ben turned to look Charlotte and Graham's way.

"Thanks for dinner. It was really good." Charlotte leaned back in her seat and flashed her brown eyes toward Graham's greens.

"Yeah, sure." He nodded her way and smiled.

Sawyer realized that Charlotte and Graham were probably having some small talk in the car but she was getting antsy, "This is ridiculous." She pulled out her phone and started to text.

Charlotte's phone buzzed and she looked down._ Goin to Ben's place. C ya tomorrow._ Charlotte laughed at the 'C ya tomorrow'.

Ben pulled out of his parking space and Graham saw the 4-Runner take a left. He looked at Charlotte as he started started the car, "So we're headed back to your place?"

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded and felt Graham put his car into reverse. Maybe they'd catch a late night movie? Or better than that, maybe they'd just have a nice night in.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte unlocked the front door when they reached the small house and she and Graham walked inside. She turned on the lights and walked toward the kitchen.

"Can I get you anything. You want a beer?" Charlotte opened up the fridge looking her choices over.

A beer wouldn't be bad but he'd already had a couple back a the restaurant. It wasn't like he was gonna get hammered if he drank another but if for whatever reason he got pulled over, his commanding officers would have a fit "Uh, water."

That's exactly what she was wanting. Charlotte's one and a half Mexi-whatever it was, had been good but Sawyer could handle those types of drinks much better than her younger cousin. Water would be the perfect temporary cure.

Graham eyed the back porch and walked toward the sliding glass door. He opened it up and stepped out into the cool September night. A breeze blew against the trees and Graham looked up into the night sky. It was nice out tonight. Tree Hill wasn't exactly a huge metropolitan city so there were always visible stars hanging in the sky.

Charlotte had heard the sliding door open so when she walked to the living room with their waters she knew that Graham had gone outside. He was gazing upward when she stepped onto the back porch. "Anything interesting up there?"

She handed him the water and he shrugged, "Depends on what you call interesting."

Charlotte sat down in one of the chairs and looked up. "What's that? Orion's Belt?"

He shook his head and turned to look at her. "That's not out yet. We'll have to stay up to see that one."

She wasn't an astronomer, so Charlotte just figured that Orion's belt was always visible. "Really? I didn't know that."

"Yeah. It'll show up at different times during the year."

Charlotte watched Graham take a seat and she lifted her brow, "So how do you know about the stars?"

Graham looked up and smiled, "From knowing the tides. Depending on the moon, you can tell what the tide will do the next day. I guess over the years I started to learn about the stars too."

Looking up, Charlotte noticed the indigo night that was staring back at her, "Know any star stories?"

He laughed and shook his head. "No. I'm an ocean guy. I don't know enough about all that..." He pointed up and looked at Charlotte, "...to really give a good story."

"What about the North Star? Shouldn't there be some old sailing wives tale about that you know?"

Taking a sip of his drink, Graham nodded, "Actually. I do know one about that."

Charlotte sunk deeper into her chair and waited for Graham to begin. She loved his stories.

"Apparently thousands of years ago a Swedish man set out in search of food on a homemade raft. His wife was back home sick, and on the verge of dying. So this man fights the Baltic sea with only a raft tied together with twine. Weeks pass and he's got nothing. He's tried everything he knows, but there is no hope. Dehydrated and delusional, the man struggles to maintain his course." Graham took a breather and a sip of his water. "So lost and barely alive, he speaks to his wife aloud hoping she'll help guide him home..."

Charlotte had a pretty good idea where this story was going.

"And the next night a star as bright as any he'd seen lit up the sky, and for two weeks the man paddled toward the light. A week or so later, the man made landfall and rushed back home. Empty handed, he had nothing to show for his excursion but a story about a star that guided him home." Taking a deep breath, Graham was about to tell the sad part. "But the man was too late. His wife gave in to her illness."

"That's awful. That poor man."

Graham nodded, "But that man knew his wife sent that star. He knew she was guiding him home."

"So why's it called the North Star? It is just because it happens to lead to the North?"

That probably had a lot to do with it but it wasn't the only thing. "That man's wife name was Norr."

Charlotte was putting the pieces together. "Is that Swedish for North?"

"Yeah." Graham looked up and saw the star he'd been talking about. "They say it's a true story. Maybe she did help him home."

Charlotte glanced up and nodded. She couldn't help but wonder if Graham had to use it. He was a sailor. "Have you ever been lost?"

"No." He turned looked to Charlotte and shook his head. "I've braved a few rough storms but I've never been lost."

Smiling, Charlotte had an idea why. "I'm guessing your expert sailing skills have kept you away from trouble, huh?"

He laughed and moved one of his hands to his right side and grimaced. "I wouldn't say that."

She hung her head in embarrassment. "I'm so sorry. Does it still hurt?"

It did. It definitely hurt. "A little." That was a lie. It was more than painful.

Charlotte got up, "I've got some Advil. Would that help?"

Advil would probably help but it an ice pack would be better. Bruised ribs needed ice."Think we can do a make-shift ice-pack?"

"Yeah. I've got a big gallon bag Ziploc." She opened up the sliding glass door and Graham followed her in.

Charlotte filled the bag with ice and then turned around. "I've got some Saran wrap. Do you need to use that too?"

She was adorable in too many ways. Graham loved that she wanted to help him and how eager she was about everything. "Yeah, that might be a good idea."

"Okay..." Charlotte pulled out a drawer then another to find that cling wrap. "Well, I thought we had some."

Graham opened up the other cabinets and helped in on the search. He was at one end of the kitchen and Charlotte was at the other. Drawer by drawer and cabinet by cabinet, they made their way to the middle and by the time they were next to each other neither of them had the wrap.

"Maybe I've got something we can use in that hall closet." She turned to go look but Graham reached out and held onto her arm. She turned around and saw that smile of his. "What?"

"Come here." He pulled her close and kissed her. It was heated and his arms were around her waist, and Charlotte's hands were bunching up his shirt.

Their lips were like magnets and the swarm in her belly told her she needed more. She wanted more. It would be a big step but they'd have to get there one day. Tonight was that day.

Charlotte was still holding onto his shirt as she walked backwards pulling him with her. She felt like she was on fire. The way his touch made her feel was more than anything she'd ever experiened. Graham's feet were moving but he wasn't exactly sure where they were headed. Each time his hand moved across or around her small frame, Charlotte could feel her nerves fire in all directions.

Graham pulled away and looked at her curiously, "Charlotte?"

She shook her head and tugged on his shirt kissing him again. They'd moved their way down the hall toward her bedroom, and Charlotte fumbled with the door not moving her lips from his. Each time they kissed Graham never wanted to pull back. He knew he liked Charlotte. She was beautiful and smart and as he felt her body press against his, he also knew she was sexy as hell.

Realizing what was about to happen, Graham looked into her deep brown eyes. They were full of passion and desire and he knew his eyes read the same. They didn't speak, they didn't say a word, but they both stood in Charlotte's room waiting for the next move.

Graham reached for the door and shut it causing Charlotte to swallow the lump in her throat. Her heart was racing but she took a deep breath as she found the zipper along her back.

Hopefully this wouldn't change anything.

**OTHOTH**

The morning sun was shining through the window pane and Charlotte slowly opened her eyes. She was facing the wall and knew that Graham would be next to her when she rolled over. Should she roll over? Would he be awake? What would they say to each other?

Charlotte nervously closed her eyes and shook her head with a smile. It wouldn't matter.

As she shuffled under the covers and looked to the other side of the sheets, Charlotte's face fell. There was nobody else in bed.

A gigantic lump formed in her throat and Charlotte sat up. Had things gone badly? She was pretty sure things had gone better than good, but where had Graham run off to? Did he have get to the base early? It was Sunday. Did he even work Sundays?

The bathroom door creaked open and Charlotte saw him. Graham hadn't gone anywhere at all. Her cheeks started to warm and she laid back down against the pillows.

Graham quietly walked out of the bathroom and looked toward Charlotte. He expected her to be asleep but those brown eyes looking up at him told him otherwise. "Morning."

Her heart was pounding out of her chest, but Charlotte mustered up the courage to speak back. "Morning."

Clad in only his blue boxers, Graham smiled at her and got on the bed.

It was when Graham was crawling up close to her that she saw the massive blue and green bruise that spread across his right side. "Oh my God, Graham." Charlotte sat up and reached out worried.

He shook his head and kissed her. "It's fine. It just looks bad."

"Looks bad? It looks so bad that it looks fake."

Graham laughed and laid down next to her. "It's definitely not fake." He watched the ceiling fan rotate and turned to look at Charlotte. "But it was worth it."

Charlotte blushed again and scooted over to him. She rested her cheek on Graham's chest, careful not to hit his sore spot. Everything _had_ been worth it. So far, there was nothing she'd want to change. Working The Diligence Dash, going to the base, introducing him to her parents, and even knocking him off that sailboat had been some of the best days of Charlotte's young life.

Graham McFarland was someone she could picture having around for a long, long time.

**OTHOTH**

**Alright, so how was that? Next chapter is gonna jump ahead about two months (I'll be doing that a lot now, jumping ahead) and Graham's gonna get to meet all the extended family. Good thing or bad? You'll have to wait and see.**

**My lovely reviewers are what continue to motivate this story. So thank you so much!**

**BDavis: Grahlotte, ha. I've never tried to combine their names but I'm liking that you're doing it, lol. So how was the sailing trip? Sawyer and Ben were obviously not there because Graham's boat is just too small for four people. It's only 17ft. That's not a whole lot of room for two people, much less four. I know it seems like Sawyer is a replica Peyton (and yeah, she pretty much is) but she's got a little Lucas in her too. We'll see a more emotional side to her in an upcoming chapter. But I do think the lack of Lucas in her character as a lot to do with the fact that I don't write Lucas well...just if you were wondering.**

**Always and Forever: I'm so glad you liked the chapter. Sawyer and Ben are fun secondary characters and it's good to know you like them together. They are really supportive best friends and that will contiue throughout the story. Adding Nathan and Haley was something I felt would 1. help tie the spin off with the show a little bit and 2. I knew a lot of people wanted to see Graham meet Naley so I knew it needed to happen at some point.**

**MagicalNaley23: Yeah, I know it would have been good to have an actual aguement but I had a really hard time figuring out what I wanted them to argue about. Don't worry though. It won't be smooth sailing for them as the story progresses. Their about to it rough water. Sawyer's a hoot to write and I'm glad you like her and that you like Ben as well. They are fun characters to dive into every once and in a while. And I'm also happy you liked the inclusion of Nathan and Haley. I thought it helped tie everything together as well. You're right, Charlotte and Graham do really care about each other. That will continue to show throughout the story!**

**Review Please!**


	8. Because He Loved Her

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 8: Because He Loved Her  
**

**Disclaimer: Nay, The opposite of yes. Conclusion: I don't own anything related to OTH.**

**A/N: I know, I know, I'm awful. I made you guys wait a lifetime again. I know. I'm disappointing. I hope you guys like the chapter though. There is a lot going on and there are a lot of people in the chapter. Some of your favorite "real" OTH alums might show up. Enjoy guys.**

**OTHOTH**

There was a slight breeze in the air, and the orange and red leaves of November littered the streets of downtown Tree Hill. Graham was walking along the Front Street sidewalk running his second of two errands. The first consisted of a flower shop, and now he was headed to get a certain someone a little something else. In five days he was going to be leaving on his first Diligence patrol, and since he'd be gone for seventeen days, he knew that he wanted to get Charlotte something before he left.

They'd say their goodbyes at the dock Monday morning, but that afternoon she'd be getting a delivery at school. Just a little something to remind Charlotte that he'd be thinking about her while he was out at sea.

So the flowers had been ordered, purple, just like she liked them, and now Graham was on his way to Clothes Over Bros. He'd never been in the store, but from everything he gathered from his girlfriend, it was her go-to place.

When Graham saw the corner store he walked up the steps and made his way inside.

"Sorry, but we're about to close."

The voice came out of the back and Graham saw a woman in her late forties walk toward the register. She had dark rimmed glasses, dark hair, a pencil behind her ear, a tape measure around her neck, and a some type of notebook in her hands.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I...I'll go."

The woman looked at the guy and felt a need to help with whatever he was there looking for. When she'd heard the front door open she'd assumed it would be a couple high schoolers prowling for clothes they could never afford. Realizing this guy was probably an actual customer, she shook her head, "No. It's fine..." She placed her notebook down on the counter and smiled, "What can I help you with?"

Graham looked around and shrugged, "Do you have any earrings?"

Smiling, the raspy voiced woman nodded, "As a matter of fact we do." She walked over to the other side of the store and pointed to a display. "Girlfriend?"

Walking behind the lady, Graham nodded, "Yeah."

Picking out two pair, she held out a set of silver chandelier earrings and pewter colored hoops. "These are our most popular. She have a favorite color? The hoops come in different metallic shades."

Graham didn't answer the question but reached out for the chandelier set. Those screamed Charlotte Scott. "These. I'll take these."

"Nice choice." The woman arched her brow and smiled.

He couldn't help but notice how outgoing this lady was. There was obviously a reason she worked the register and customer service.

"I can go ring those up for you. Do you need a box?"

"Sure, that'd be great." Graham nodded and they both walked to the register. His phone started to ring and while the Clothes over Bro's employee boxed up the earrings she couldn't help but listen to his conversation.

"Hey." Graham answered, switching ears with a smile when he heard her voice.

"Hi." Charlotte paused for a second and bit her lip. "Where are you right now? I need a favor."

Looking around the shop, Graham shrugged, "Uh, I just left the grocery store." That was a good enough cover. Believable.

"Oh no, really? I need you to run back there. I forgot to get those fried onion straw things that go on top of the green bean casserole."

"That's fine. I can go back and get them." Although there would be no going back to the store, Graham didn't mind stopping by Food Lion on his way over to her house.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you. Mom would have thought I was completely incompetent in the kitchen if I left that part out."

Laughing, Graham shook his head, "I'm on it."

"Alright, I'll see you when you get here."

"Okay, bye."

"Bye."

Graham turned around to see a small bag with the Clothes over Bro's logo. "Sorry about that." He pulled out his wallet and paid for the earrings, and as he was waiting on his change Graham realized that he hadn't asked Charlotte which kind of fried onion things to get. He looked at the woman across from him and arched his brow, "Do you happen to know the best brand of those fried onion crisps to get."

Wide eyed and shaking her head, the woman grimaced, "I'm not much of a cook. Embarrassingly enough, I don't even know what those things are." Laughing, she winced, "My husband and son are better at cooking than I am. Sorry I can't help."

"No, it's fine. Thanks, though." Graham took his bag and smiled, "Have a happy Thanksgiving."

"You too." The woman nodded and watched him leave the store. The back of his navy colored shirt said USCG and at that moment Brooke knew exactly who those earrings were for. Those earrings were for Charlotte and that boy was Graham. She'd just informally met her niece's boyfriend. And it's wasn't a hunch, it wasn't a guess. Brooke knew that Graham had green eyes, light brown hair, was incredibly polite, and somewhere on his chin there was a scar. Yes, yes, yes, and yes to all four of those things. Charlotte had talked enough about Graham for Brooke to realize that she'd run into a guy she'd be spending Thanksgiving with. It was true, Tree Hill really was a small town.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was cutting fresh green beans listening to music, trying her hardest not to cut herself. She'd been pretty successful so far and there had been no need to reach for the band-aids yet. And it wasn't that she was lacking in her culinary skills, but there were more green beans in her kitchen than she'd ever seen in her life. Safety and accuracy didn't really come into play when speed and getting them all cut was the task at hand.

As she plopped a few handfuls of the green veggies into the stove top pot, Charlotte eyed her two Pyrex dishes. Two would be enough, right? Her dad could eat about half of one casserole if given the chance, and last year all the Scotts had been pleasantly surprised that Bennet's favorite food had been the green bean casserole. But that was also by the hands of Haley. She was the master. She knew how to cook anything and everything. But this year everybody who came to eat was bringing something. Charlotte happened to get green bean casserole so hopefully Bennet wouldn't hate it.

She'd been too distracted by the music and her cooking to notice that the front door had opened. As soon as Graham walked inside he could smell that familiar aroma. It was starting to feel like Thanksgiving. He put the Food Lion bag on the kitchen table, and walked up behind Charlotte and leaned over her shoulder, "Smells good in here."

A hushed shade of pink started to creep across Charlotte's cheek and she leaned back into him, "I haven't even done anything yet."

Graham looked down at the mound of green and arched his brow, "Looks like you've been doing something."

Setting down her knife, Charlotte turned around and smiled. That Scott smirk was starting to appear and she rested her hands on the counter behind her, "Hi."

He leaned close to her and smiled right back, "Hey." After kissing her sweetly, Graham looked over to the table at the grocery bag, "I got two cans cause I didn't know how many you'd need."

Still smiling, Charlotte nodded, "That's perfect, thank you."

Graham looked around the kitchen and then back to those brown eyes, "You need help doing anything?"

Charlotte folded her arms across her chest and furrowed her brow, "You wanna help me cook?"

He shrugged, "Yeah. Well, Sawyer and Ben won't be here with dinner for a while. It'll keep me busy." Graham looked at the onion next to the sink and reached for it, "Want me to cut this up."

Grabbing another knife, Charlotte handed it to Graham and she watched him take his place at the counter. He _slowly_ peeled off the skin and that was his first big mistake. Charlotte could see it on his face; that onion was strong.

"Whoa..." He started blinking as the knife made its way through the onion. "This thing is... What kind of onion is this?

She laughed and watched as a tear slid down his cheek, "I don't know."

"Gah..." He wasn't even halfway through slicing it and felt another tear fall down his cheek. "You...you might have to finish this." Graham set the knife on the cutting board and wiped his eyes.

Charlotte's own eyes went wide, "Don't...don't use your hands. That's gonna make it worse." Graham's vision was so blurred with salty tears that he could hardly see straight. Charlotte got a paper towel wet and handed it to him, "Here."

Graham dabbed the cool material against his lids and under his eyes but the waterworks were still flowing. He laughed and shook his head, "You did this on purpose didn't you? I bet you knew that onion was gonna be a tear jerker."

"What? No. You're the one who offered to do it." Charlotte laughed shaking her head as she stepped closer to him with a playful smile. "But I like the sensitive ones. Grown men cry from time to time." She laughed as she reached toward his face.

He felt her hand on his cheek as her thumb brushed the wetness away. Graham took a deep breath and opened his tear filled eyes, "So this is a good look?"

"Maybe?" Charlotte arched her brow with a seductive smile.

Graham blinked through to clarity and reached his hands around her back. "Maybe?" He used his forearm to wipe the remaining water marks off his face.

She nodded and this time Charlotte was the one to kiss first. She met her lips with his and then looked at him with warm eyes. He thought she was about to say something sweet or talk about tomorrow but she leaned closer to him and laughed, "You smell like onion."

Rolling, his eyes, Graham raised his brow, "You smell like green beans." He laughed and kissed her back.

Charlotte closed her eyes with the contact and put her hands on his chest, "We better finish making this casserole or we won't have anything to take tomorrow."

He kissed the side of her cheek and smiled, "Can't you get store bought casseroles?" His lips landed on hers and he wasn't really concerned with her answer. "You probably won't be able to tell the difference."

Charlotte laughed and when Graham moved one of his hands from her back to her side she got goosebumps, "My family doesn't really do store bought. You can always tell the difference."

Shaking his head, Graham disagreed, "I don't think so. I think you can Food Lion your way out of this cooking thing."

She laughed and looked into his green eyes, "You have other plans don't you?"

In truth? Yes. He nodded and looked at her seriously, "I'm leaving next week. I can definitely think of better things to do together than cook."

That smile got her every time. "Maybe we can finish the casserole later?" Charlotte ran her hands across his shoulders and held onto his shirt. "That might work."

Leaning close to her again, Graham nodded, "Uh-huh."

The two of them both got lost for a second. Like two lovesick teenagers, they were just standing there in the kitchen letting go of reality and falling into something more. And while those two stood as one in the kitchen, two others walked in the house.

"Uh, your green beans are overflowing." Sawyer laughed as she looked toward the stove.

Snapping out of her trance, Charlotte looked up and knew that she and Graham had an audience. "What?"

Ben put the pizza box on the table next to the fried onion sticks and pointed, "That pot's overflowing."

Halfway embarrassed about being caught making out, halfway startled by their claim, Charlotte's face turned red as she looked to the stove. "Oh my God."

"Yeah. That doesn't look good." Sawyer shook her head, "Maybe now you'll be on the list to bring store bought things."

Graham eyed Charlotte, "I thought you said you didn't do store bought things."

Sawyer interrupted, "Well actually, it really only applies to _my_ side of the family. See, my mom can't tell the difference between salt and sugar, and if I had my way, I'd bake Toaster Strudel for desert instead of pecan and pumpkin pie."

Ben furrowed his brow, "But I thought you liked _Pop-Tarts_." What was with Toaster Strudel?

"Well yeah, but you can fancy up Toaster Strudel with the icing."

Looking at Graham, Charlotte nodded, "See. They _have_ to buy things. Thanksgiving should never include Toaster Strudel."

Shrugging his shoulders Ben thought about it, "I don't know. It might be a nice change." He nodded and looked at Graham. It looked like his eyes were a little red and he changed the conversation completely, "Have you been crying?"

"It's not what you think." Graham shook his head with a hesitant laugh.

Sawyer crossed her arms and laughed, "Oh, I think it is."

"I know. I know what it is." Ben nodded, "You're upset that I'm not coming tomorrow."

"It was an onion." Graham laughed and looked at the thing as it was still on the counter.

Sawyer's eyes widened, "Sure."

"No, yeah, it was. You should have seen it." Charlotte laughed just thinking about it. She turned to Ben and furrowed her brow, "So you're going back home, for sure?"

Ben nodded, "Yeah. Since we'll be leaving next week I thought it would be a good time to go see my dad. But tell your parents I appreciated the invitation."

"But he's _gotta_ bail." Sawyer shrugged her shoulders, "And Keith's not coming either?" Her little brother was hanging around campus for the holiday and figured taking the break to hang out with his college buddies would be just fine.

"He's not coming either?" Charlotte looked at her cousin and back to her pot of beans, "Maybe I won't need so much after all?"

Graham glanced at Charlotte with a playful smile. See, they could have been spending time doing more important things.

"Well I don't know about you guys, but I'm starving. Let's eat." Ben clapped his hands together and awaited a heavenly piece of pizza.

Charlotte got out four plates while Graham grabbed four cups. She looked over to him and realized that this felt good. The two of them doing such a nominal task and having it feel so right, was it supposed to feel like this? And Ben and Sawyer too. They were a foursome who were pretty solid that would remain close longer than any of them expected. But what none of them expected was going to happen tomorrow.

**OTHOTH**

That next early afternoon, Graham pulled up to Charlotte and Sawyer's house. He'd dressed up with a nice blue button down and khaki pants, even loafers. And even though Graham had already met Charlotte's parents and brother, there were still a few he hadn't met yet. There was the famed novelist, hit making record executive, award winner director, and a fashion-nista still to go. It was going to be a whirlwind.

Just as Graham was walking down the walkway he saw a blur run out of the house and toward Sawyer's car. The blonde hair told him it was the older Scott and he stood their watching her quickly get in her car.

She rolled down the window and waved, "I gotta go get the rolls. I forgot! Change of plans. I'll just meet you over there. I don't need a ride."

"Good luck finding a sto..."

"Shut up. I don't wanna hear it. Charlotte's already given me hell about not being prepared." The old sea blue convertible tore out of the driveway and Graham laughed as he walked to the front door.

When he got into the kitchen he could see that Charlotte was wearing dark skinny jeans with some sort of blazer. Her hair was down but she kept tucking it behind her ear as she added the finishing touches to her delicious looking casseroles. She looked behind her shoulder and smiled, "Hey, I'm almost ready. I just wanted to add the leftover onion things on before we left."

He nodded and walked closer to her. "So Sawyer forgot the rolls? I thought she was bringing desert."

"Not this year. Last year she did but, don't tell her I said this, but whatever it was she got at whatever store she went to was nasty. It was a collective family vote for her to bring the easiest thing." Charlotte popped a crispy onion in her mouth and laughed. "Ready?"

"Yeah. You got those?" Graham pointed to the casseroles curiously.

Charlotte nodded, "If you'll get the door though, that would be great."

He nodded and the couple made their way to Graham's car. They successfully got Charlotte and the casseroles in the car without fail, and pretty soon they were on their way to her parents' house.

Looking over to him, Charlotte smiled, "Thanks for coming. It means a lot that you're coming with me. I know you could be spending time with your family."

"I'm glad you invited me." He nodded and looked back to her, "And besides, Lane's having my parents and brother over to her place and her house is kinda small. Even for seven people." Graham glanced out to the street and turned to Charlotte, "I take this turn, right?"

"Yeah. It's not far. We'll be there in no time."

Graham hadn't been to Nathan and Haley's house yet so he was making sure he was going the right way. They'd met at the banquet, had dinner out twice, dinner at Charlotte's a few times but that was really the extent of it. This time Graham was gonna get a glimpse of Charlotte's childhood home.

"It's this one." Charlotte pointed at the driveway and Graham was surprised to see a gate. Or maybe he wasn't, Nathan and Haley were celebrities after all.

"Do I need a code?"

"Two, three, one, two."

Graham had grown up a Bobcats fan so he knew was twelve was. "What's twenty three?"

"My dad's first jersey number. High school and college."

He looked at her while the gate moved, "Why'd he change numbers?"

Charlotte shook her head, "Jamie wanted him to be twelve so he picked twelve."

"Oh." Graham pulled further up the driveway and could see what looked nothing like the quaint childhood home he'd grown up in. This stucco mega-mansion looked like some Mexican resort. "Wow."

"Home sweet home." Charlotte didn't think anything of it. She'd known that house all twenty three years of her life.

Graham's eyes widened and he took a deep breath. Not only did the house look like millions of dollars, but the cars in the driveway had the same characteristics. Graham suddenly felt like his old Chevy was gonna be moved so it wouldn't take away from the looks of the BMW, the Range Rover, the Porche ,and the three antiqued cars along side of them. It was a trip. He pulled next to Jamie's old green FJ40 and laughed, "So whats the deal with your family and old cars?"

Charlotte looked out the window and laughed, "That's all my uncle Lucas and aunt Peyton. They both have old cars which prompted Sawyer to want on, Jamie worked with Lucas on his, and Keith even has his grandfather's old Corvette. It's weird, I know."

"Nah, it's kind of cool." He put his car in park and glanced at the casseroles in Charlotte's lap. "I'll grab those. Hold on." Graham got out of the car and quickly made his way to her door.

"Thanks." Charlotte stepped out of his Tahoe and they started walking to the door.

"Which way's the kitchen?"

Using her hands to show what she meant, she told him, "Go right when you get through the door and you'll run into it. I'm sure there will be stuff everywhere so just find a spot to put them."

The front door opened and two familiar blue eyes greeted the young couple.

"Hey, Jame." Charlotte smiled at her brother and leaned into his side with a hug.

"Hey, Charlotte." He looked at Graham and was about to extend his hadn't but realized Graham and no free hands to shake. "You good with that, man?"

"Yeah. I got it, thanks." Graham walked to the kitchen while Charlotte and Jamie talked for a moment.

The blue eyed man looked at his little sister with a smirk, "So? You got him to skip out on his family's Thanksgiving to come here?"

"He said he wanted to. It wasn't like I made him or anything."

Jamie laughed and nodded, "No I know. I just mean it's a big step."

It was, but that's what relationships were all about. It was a never ending test of companionship and compromise. They'd already talked about going to see his parents around New Year. This thing they had going was progressing nicely and they were taking each step one day at a time.

"I know." Charlotte knew that. She did, but that was a good thing.

And while Charlotte and Jamie continued talking, Graham found his way to the kitchen and was overwhelmed with all the food. There seemed to be no counter space to put Charlotte's casseroles.

"Here. Maybe I can help move some things around." Liza smiled at Graham and they rearranged a few things to get the green bean casseroles down.

He'd met her on a few brief occasions, and from what Graham could gather, Liza was a really great person, a good mom, and great friend. She was a nurse too. "Thanks."

Sliding past his mom, five year old Bennet looked up to the green eyed man and smiled, "I thought I saw your car! Are you ready to play football?"

Giving the boy a pound, Graham raised his brows, "Football? On the Wii?"

Bennet shook his head, "Outside. You can be on my team with Grandpa. You can take my dad's spot."

Liza looked down at her son and put her hand on his shoulder, "Not right now, bud. Y'all will do that a little bit later."

"Aw, Mom." Bennet twisted his smile into a frown.

Graham could see the disappointment on the kid's face. "But yeah, I'll play when you want me to."

"Sweet. We're are gonna crush my dad's team." Bennet smiled brightly and ran off toward the living room.

Liza laughed and shook her head, "Sometimes I don't know how he has so much energy."

Graham laughed as well and he and Liza walked behind Bennet toward everyone else. Charlotte was talking with her mom and aunts when Graham came into the living room. He walked to her side and when he saw the two women he hadn't met before he realized he'd actually met one of them yesterday.

Charlotte smiled and turned to introduce her boyfriend, "Graham, these are my aunts Brooke and Peyton." Tilting her head she looked at Peyton, "This is Sawyer's mom."

"I can tell." Graham smiled and definitely saw the resemblance. "Nice to meet you."

"And Brooke is the one who owns Clothes over Bro's."

Brooke looked at Graham with a funny little smile that made her dimples pop, "Hi, Graham. Nice to finally _meet_ you."

When he'd gone in to get Charlotte's earrings yesterday Graham had no idea that the woman working had been Brooke. It never crossed his mind that the actual owner of the store would be so hands on. And yeah, he'd seen a few pictures of Charlotte's aunt, but yesterday the thought never crossed his mind. "You as well."

"Lucas and Julian are around here somewhere." Peyton looked to her left and right wondering where their husbands were.

Just as Peyton inquired about their whereabouts, Nathan, Lucas, and Julian all approached.

"Mr. Scott it's good to see you."

Nathan shook Graham's hand and nodded. He looked at Lucas and introduced his brother to Charlotte's boyfriend, "Luke, this is Graham. Graham, this is my brother Lucas."

Shaking Graham's hand, Lucas squinted his eyes a bit. "You're a friend of Ben's, right?"

"Yes, sir. He's like my brother."

"Good guy?" Lucas had to ask. He'd already met Ben but he still felt obligated to pry about Sawyer's personal life while she wasn't there.

Graham nodded, "Great guy."

"What about..."

Peyton rolled her eyes, "Oh, Luke, stop." She laughed and patted her husband's chest. Looking at Graham, Peyton apologized, "Don't mind him. He's just being nosy."

Brooke started to laugh, "And Sawyer would be furious if he started asking questions while she was around."

"Where is Sawyer?" Nathan looked around and noticed that his loud mouth, witty, neice wasn't around.

"_Sawyer_ forgot to bring the roles." Charlotte laughed and rolled her eyes.

Putting her hands on her hips, Peyton shook her head, "Are you serious?"

Haley furrowed her brow and tired to think of the contents in her pantry, "I might have a package or two if she can't get some."

The front door opened and it was as if Sawyer had a little detector that told her the best times to show up. She walked through the house to the kitchen, and when she saw that the counters were completely covered Sawyer made her way to the living room.

"Uh, Aunt Haley..." Sawyer raised her sunglasses into her hair and held out the bag. "There's like no room in the kitchen for the rolls. Where should I put them?"

"Here, I'll take 'em." Haley took the bread from her niece and headed for the kitchen.

Graham looked at the tall man behind Brooke, "You're Julian?"

"Julian Baker. Nice to meet you."

Jamie walked up to the group with baby Claire in his arms and Charlotte held out her hands. "Me! Me! Let me hold her."

Just as Jamie passed his little girl to his sister and he felt someone tug on his hands, "Dad, can we play football now?"

"You wanna play football, Bennet?" Nathan looked at his grandson with a wide smile and arched brows.

"Uh-huh."

Sawyer felt a little family competition as well. "I'm in."

"Alright, who ever is playing I guess we should head outside."

"Yes!" Bennet threw up a fist in celebration and ran to get his football. The rest of the gang followed the boy and left Charlotte with Graham.

She looked at him and let out a laugh. "I forgot to mention this part. My family's big on athletics. There's always some sort of game going on."

"Yeah, Bennet asked me to be on his team earlier."

"Mmm, aren't you special." Charlotte's smirk was starting to appear as she smiled.

Graham nodded and started walking outside.

"Have fun." Charlotte watched him walk to the back doors and looked at Claire. "Wanna go root for Bennet and Graham, Claire?" The four month old wasn't going to say yes or no, but as the other women walked outside, Charlotte followed. She couldn't help but think that it was nice. Having Graham there was how it was supposed to be.

**OTHOTH**

The backyard was huge. Beyond huge. Graham was pretty sure that it could be considered a national park. The pool, the size of the lot, waterfront property. It was beautiful. Another reminder of exactly how he _didn't_ grow up.

"We're gonna win, right?" The blue eyed five year old looked up to his aunt's boyfriend and gave him an eager grin.

Graham shrugged, "Well are you any good?"

Confidently nodding his head, Bennet walked step for step with Graham towards the middle of the yard. "I'm pretty good at catching passes." The boy smiled and held out the ball, "Are you any good?"

Raising his shoulders, Graham narrowed his eyes, "Some days. I'll probably be learning a lot from you though."

"Yeah, you know..." Bennet put his hands on his knees and bent down into a crouch. "It's real easy."

Laughing at the boy's enthusiasm, Graham nodded. He knew a little more and was better than he led on, but he enjoyed watching Bennet trying to coach him.

Nathan walked over to the other two and caught the ball as his grandson tossed it to him. "You ready Bennet."

"Mmm-huh. Dad's going down."

Jamie, Davis, and Sawyer were on the other side of the field and Jamie turned around to face his son. "I heard that." The father cracked a smile and used his fingers to show that he was keeping an eye on his boy. "I'm watching you Bennet. Can't score on me."

The little boy started to laugh and saw Julian and Lucas walking down the steps to join teams. "We got Uncle Lucas!" Bennet leaned close to Graham and started to whisper, "Julian's not so good. We gotta keep our team strong."

Laughing at the five year old, Graham rustled Bennet's hair. Each team took their places, and at the first 'hut' things were underway.

"Twenty bucks one of ours comes back up here limping after awhile." Peyton laughed as she looked to Haley and Brooke. The women were all standing up on the pool deck looking out over the family game. Their husbands still acted like spirited young twenty somethings but in reality they were all pushing fifty.

"A hundred bucks that it's mine." Brooke laughed and shook her head. "Davis will be fine but Julian's gonna trip all over himself." Her eighteen year old was going to be more than fine, but Julian was better at filming sports than playing them.

Liza was standing in between Haley and Charlotte and took a deep breath when she saw Bennet try and tackle his dad. "Oh God." It was a natural instinct for her to cringe any time either of them went down.

"Got you." The boy had his arms wrapped around his father and Jamie nodded.

"You did." Jamie laughed and squirmed under the weight of his five year old.

Bennet got up off his father and Graham extended his arm to give Jamie a hand. "Sorry I took your spot on his team."

Jaime shook his head. "Nah, it's fine. Bennet wanted you playing with him." As he got to his feet, Jamie dusted off his pants and tossed the ball over to Sawyer. He looked back to Graham and wiped his forehead with a laugh, "I think my kids are liking you and Charlotte more than Liza and me."

Graham saw that Jamie had looked up to the deck and Graham did the same. There she was. Charlotte was standing there with four month old Claire looking more like a mother instead of an aunt. Catching his breath, he watched her wave towards him, and it was one of those moments where he realized that Charlotte Scott wasn't somebody he liked; she was someone he loved. Over the last five and a half months there had been a handful of those moments, but Graham had prematurely dismissed them. But, looking at her now made him realize those initial thoughts had been right.

Looking just past Charlotte, Graham glanced at the house she'd called home. And with that he remembered the cars in the driveway, the money her family had, and the fame that came with it. For whatever reason Graham felt more out of place than in love.

The first time he'd found out that her parents were Nathan Scott and Haley James he disregarded the idea. Charlotte was just a normal girl with extraordinary parents. And after he'd met them, Graham found out that they were pretty normal too. The only thing that got him now was the realization of what she'd grown up with. Looking at all the magnificence around him, Graham knew that Charlotte was way out of his league.

"Graham come on!" Bennet was standing in a huddle with his grandfather and uncle waiting for Graham to join them.

The Coastie walked over to his teammates and Charlotte eagerly watched on. Brooke bumped her shoulder and smiled, "Graham's great."

As Charlotte rocked her sleeping niece, she nodded, "Yeah, I know. There's just...something about him."

Brooke nodded, "Yeah, we all find it sometime or another." She looked out across the grass at Julian and then back to Charlotte.

The game continued and team McScott beat DJ SJ after a triumphant battle. After a little bit of breathing room for the 'old' fellas, it was about that time to eat.

Nathan carved up the turkey, Haley and Liza heated up the casseroles, and Bennet was officially in charge of putting ice in all the glasses.

Everyone started to make their plates, and the conversation was lively and the food, delicious. There was nothing on anyone's plate that went untouched.

After everyone had successfully eaten more food then they could have wanted, dessert was offered but most were about to combust. Maybe in an hour, pie could fit somewhere in their stomachs.

Graham got up to take his plate to the kitchen and got Charlotte's on his way. Haley was in the kitchen running a few forks and knives under the sink and Graham walked up next to her.

"Where should I put these?" He held out the dishes and Charlotte's mom turned around.

She looked around the kitchen and shrugged, "Uh...anywhere you can find a place."

Graham found a space and turned back to Haley, "Can I help you with anything?"

"No, no. I'm fine."

He nodded and spoke up again, "Well thank you for inviting me. This was great. Everything was great."

"Sure. We're glad you could come. You're welcomed over here whenever you like."

With that, Graham got a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't that he was having a bad time. Charlotte's family was great. That wasn't the problem. It was his own insecurity that was beating him down.

Sawyer walked into the kitchen with a few plates and handed them off to Graham. "Here ya go."

He took the plates with a smirk, "Gee, thanks Sawyer."

"You're very welcome." She smiled right back and walked away.

Graham put the dishes where he'd put the others and saw that Jamie was standing outside. He'd like the quietness of a singular conversation so Graham walked toward Charlotte's brother.

Jamie heard the door close and saw Graham approaching. "Come out here for some quiet too?"

Letting out a small laugh, Graham nodded, "I think the fresh air will help delay the heartburn I'm sure I'll get later."

"Yeah no kidding. I'm not gonna need to eat for a few days."

Graham stepped next to Jamie and leaned on the fence.

The protective brother side was starting to creep through Jamie's system. "Charlotte said you're leaving for a cutter mission next week?"

"Yeah. I'm leaving on Monday. Two and a half weeks of patrol."

"She'll be waiting for you when you come back." It came out sounding a bit more like a threat. Almost warning Graham that he better not do anything dumb out at sea.

The Coastie nodded, "Oh, I know. Coming home will be the best part of my trip."

That was exactly along the lines of what Jamie wanted to hear.

"Am I missing all the fun out here?" Charlotte walked out toward the boys with a wide eyes.

Both of them shook their heads and Jamie started walking to the house. He was gonna let Charlotte and Graham have a minute to themselves.

Sliding her hand along Graham's back, Charlotte stepped next to him and took a deep breath. "Exciting day, huh?"

"Yeah." He nodded and smiled at her.

There was a comfortable silence between the two of them and he felt Charlotte lean into his side. Graham wrapped his arm around her and never wanted to let go. He never wanted to let go, but a part of him knew he was going to have to.

Standing side by side, staring at the water, Charlotte and Graham looked out across the backyard. Everything seemed to be going well.

But that was the thing. Not all was as it seemed. Graham was seriously struggling with the fact that he'd never be able to get to this level. No career in the Coast Guard was going to make him millions, and he knew that he somehow was not good enough. He loved her but was that enough?

**OTHOTH**

When they'd left her parents' house Charlotte leaned back in the passenger seat of Graham's car, and was so exhausted and full that she could have taken a nap right then, right there. She closed her eyes and seriously thought about doing it, but they'd be back at her house in just a few minutes.

The radio was down really low and Graham was equally as quiet. How was he gonna say it? How was he gonna tell her? Now, in the car? On the front steps? Once they got inside? He was gonna have to make up his mind soon because he'd just pulled onto her street.

As Graham parked along the curb, Charlotte opened her eyes and let out a big yawn. Maybe Graham would wanna stay and watch a late afternoon movie? They could fall asleep together on the couch.

"Oh, I'm so full." She laughed and stretched as she got out of the car and smiled at him. "That green bean casserole turned out to be a hit. There was hardly any left."

"Mmm-huh."

They both walked toward the front door and Charlotte started to search for her keys. As she riffled through her purse she looked at Graham with an arched brow, "You're being so quiet." She pulled out her keys and smiled, "What do you think about spending the next hour on the couch with a good movie?"

Here it goes. Swallowing the lump in his throat he started to respond, "I...uh." Graham wasn't exactly sure how to say it. "I don't think that's a good idea."

"Oh. Okay." She got it. They'd basically spent the last two days together. "Well, I'll call you later or tomorrow." Charlotte leaned close and sweetly kissed him. "Thanks for coming."

She turned to walk inside but Graham spoke up. "Charlotte...?"

The way he'd said her name made her nervous. She turned back around and saw that he was shaking his head.

"I can't do this." His green eyes met her beautiful brown ones and he sighed. "I just... Today at your parents I realized that I'm the exact opposite of who you should be with. I'm not rich and I don't have big houses or fancy cars...I mean, my dad's a carpenter and my mom's a city clerk."

Charlotte was listening to what he was saying but none of it was making sense. What was he trying to say? Where was this coming from?

"You deserve someone better. Someone who can give you all the stuff you've ever needed or wanted... I'm just...I'm not that guy, Charlotte." Graham took a deep breath and could tell that she was completely blindsided.

"..." Charlotte had opened her mouth but she couldn't find the words to say. It didn't help that her bottom lip was quivering or that her heart was breaking. It felt like a the wind had been knocked out of her every breath. Why was he saying all this?

"I didn't want to get any deeper into this and have you realize that you wanted something more than I can give." He ran his hand over his brown hair and took a deep breath. "I'll always care about you."

It was like life was smacking her in the face. "Graham...?" She couldn't even finish the rest of her sentence.

He didn't want to see her cry. He didn't want to see her upset. Graham was only doing this because he loved her. He loved her enough to realize that he couldn't give her the things she'd deserve.

But could he?

Those cliched romances where the 'poor' boy gets the 'rich' girl were written up for the movies. Life wasn't a fairytale. It was for the best if they broke it off now instead of later.

"I uh... I should go." Graham swallowed hard and could see the pain written all over her face. It wasn't supposed to be like this but it was for the best. She deserved better and he wasn't going to hold her back." He kissed her forehead and turned to go.

While he walked away, she smudged a tear against her cheek and felt her breath catch in her throat. This wasn't happening. Graham wasn't just walking out of her life was he? She couldn't stand the sight of him waking away so she quickly stepped inside and leaned against the wall. If her legs hadn't felt like Jello she woudl have run after him, told him he was being irrational but she did nothing. She felt dumb for not saying anything, not asking questions, not telling him that none of it mattered, but her tongue had been tied by the sheer shock of it all.

She eventually gained her composure and wiped away her mascara colored tear stains. Slowly walking through the house, she got to her room and collapsed on her bed.

The realization about what he was saying made her cry harder. He thought he wasn't good enough, that he wouldn't be able to give her what she needed, but it was just the opposite. Why hadn't she told him he was exactly what she needed, that whatever he could give her would be what she wanted, and that all that other stuff didn't matter? That was the question she didn't have an answer to.

As she laid there alone, Charlotte's emotions were making her feel nauseous and her broken heart created a tightness in her chest. She loved him. She knew that these wounds would take more than time to heal. The certainty of the future she'd seen with him was now up in the air.

The reality of the situation was that they both loved each other. It was a two way streak. Charlotte loved Graham and Graham loved Charlotte. The only problem was that they hadn't told eachother yet.

While she sniffed away the thoughts of why and what could have been, Charlotte Scott was certain that life with Graham McFarland felt a lot better than it did _without _him.

**OTHOTH**

**Uh-oh. Do you hate me? Yes, no, maybe a little. I'm gonna try and get the next chapter up within the next ten days, cause you probably all want to know what's in store for these two next. If and how'll they'll find their way back to each other.**

**On a side note. I know I don't have time now...but in the future would any of you guys want to get a small fic about Sawyer and Ben? I know a lot of you guys like them together and there are things that happen with them that I won't be able to touch on or got into detail on in this story. Drop me a review if you'd have any interest in reading about their relationship!  
**

**I love my reviewers and this story is for you guys! Thank you so much for the feedback. It's always, always, always appreciated!**

**MagicalNaley23: It's great to know you liked last chapter! Bringing up the names with Charlotte and Graham was something I did for foreshadowing purposes. One of the many names mentioned will be one of their kids' names. Jealous Graham won't be next chapter but it is on my to-do list. Hopefully I can get to it soon!**

**Lane: Haha, yeah, that was probably neat to know that I have a character with your same name. Lane's also mentioned in chapter 1 so that's been established since the beginning. I'm so glad you liked the chapter!**

**BDavis: There will probably be double dates in the future so you can get excited about those. It's great to know you like the way I write Nathan. I know he wasn't in there much, but I hope you liked him in this chapter. **

**Always and Forever: I liked the part about her Haley James brain having a Nathan Scott moment too, lol. And yes, I do use a lot of foreshadowing. If you read carefully you'll get a really good grasps on things that will happen in the story.**

**Joan: I'm glad you liked the name stuff. Yes, one of those names will be a baby name. Which one of those names...I'll keep that a secret. Sawyer and Ben are fun to write so I'm so happy you like them last chapter. **

**Blurrystars: Ch 4: Since you liked the Charlotte/Bennet/Graham stuff in that chapter I hope you like it in this new one. And no, I had no idea that banyan was also a tree. How funny. Ch 5: Thanks for listing all the things you liked. Sawyer and Charlotte having pipe issues was something I threw in for comic relief, and having protective Jamie in there is always nice too. Ch 6: The fight was something that I wanted to touch on so I'm glad you liked that the chapter had that in there. Even the cutest couples fight so I thought it would be nice to see that in there. I've always liked James and Lydia as well so having Haley mention them was something I thought was nice. Too bad they've passed away on the show. Ch 7: Reading your favorite lines was great. Also know you're a supporter of Sawyer and Ben is good to know as well. I appreciate the feedback!**

**Diana: I'm so happy you tried out Charlotte's story. I hope you like what's in store for the two of them!**

**REVIEW PLEASE!  
**


	9. What We've Got Here is Enough

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 9: What We've Got Here is Enough  
**

**Disclaimer: Negative. OTH does not belong to me.**

**A/N: Alright, so this chapter will give you some answers about questions and concerns you may have had from last time. I know you guys were left with somewhat of a cliff hanger last chapter and I hope you guys like the resolution! Oh, and some new characters are introduced. Hope you like 'em. And another thing. There is lots and lots of foreshadowing...so keep a watchful eye when reading. You might just stumble across a few hints as to what's gonna happen later in the story. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Graham had pulled off the curb and for a moment he thought about stopping his car and running back in the house to tell Charlotte he'd made a mistake. Maybe he was being irrational? Maybe it was all in his head? He didn't know, and right now he didn't want to think about it. The only thing fresh on his mind was the look on Charlotte's broken face when he'd turned to walk away.

Rolling down the window, Graham let the fresh air in and he took a deep breath. He had to convince himself that it had been for the best. He was doing her a favor. For her sake, he had to let go.

When he approached the four way stop, Graham saw Sawyer's convertible on the other side and she waved as they passed by each other.

Sawyer smiled but quickly turned it into a frown when she realized that Graham hadn't waved back. "Ugh, jerk!" She shook her head and turned the car into the driveway. It probably wasn't going to rain but she put top up just in case. Grabbing her bag and reaching for the extra pack of rolls her family hadn't eaten and gingerly slammed the driver's side door.

As Sawyer got closer to the front door she could hear muffled speakers and rolled her eyes, "I told her not go past twenty seven on the volume control. She's gonna bust my speakers. My _brand new_ speakers." Angry, she called out her cousin's name, "Charlotte?" Sawyer walked into their little house and she set down the bread. "Charlotte Mae Scott, if my speakers bust you're buying me new ones!"

There was an uncomfortable silence in the house. There was no movement, no response, nothing except the chorus of "Every Breath You Take". Sawyer was utterly confused by the stillness and walked to Charlotte's room. The door was closed but that didn't mean 'don't come in'. It wasn't like she was about to walk in on Graham and Charlotte, she'd seen him drive towards his place.

Sawyer opened the door and she saw Charlotte lying on the bed. The younger Scott's back was to the elder and Sawyer figured she was resting off all that food. "Okay, first off, no napping without me. Second, why the hell are you listening to The Police? This song is about the dissolution of a marriage. It's actually a big misconception you know? A lot of people think it's a love song. And it's not." Sawyer put her hands on her hips and saw the wine bottle next to Charlotte's bed. "And hey! That's our good wine!"

Charlotte rolled over revealing her tear streaked face. "Gra...Graham broke up with me." She sniffed and used the back of her hand to wipe under her eyes.

"What!" Sawyer suddenly didn't care about her speakers or the music, their expensive wine, or anything else but her cousin and best friend. "Wh...Wh...What happened?" Sawyer didn't even want to hear about it. No she did, but she was getting pissed at the simple fact that Graham could have dared break up with Charlotte Scott. "I'm gonna beat his ass. What the hell?"

"No." Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "Don't." She took a deep breath and wiped away a tear. "He told me that he knew he wasn't good enough, that I deserved better." The mere idea made her eyes cloud up again and she rested both her hands on her forehead. Her lip quivered like an earthquake measuring off the Richter scale as she tried keep her tears at bay.

Sawyer climbed up on Charlotte's bed and laid down next to her, "But that's not true. You know that. I know that..."

"But he doesn't."

"So what did you tell him?" Sawyer looked over to Charlotte and her heart broke. The sadness and the pain was so obvious in every line, every freckle, every everything. It was written all over her face.

Shaking her head, Charlotte shrugged, "I didn't say anything. I couldn't. It took me a while to process it all."

Sawyer's eyes bugged just like her mother's, "You didn't say anything? Not a single word?"

"I tried to. I wanted to tell him he was wrong...but maybe he's right."

"Are you kidding? You are not _that_ girl, Charlotte. You don't need anything he can't give you..."

Charlotte cut Sawyer off, "No, I didn't mean about that. I know I'm not _that_ girl. But maybe this was bound to happen? Not all relationships work out. Maybe this break up is a good thing?" Charlotte didn't believe that for a second but had to think that there was some greater reason for all of her heartache.

Sawyer shook her head and propped herself up on her elbow. "You and Graham are great together. The way you look at each other and the way you laugh. Charlotte, I know your head's probably going in all different directions right now, but think about it. There is nothing about you two that doesn't make sense."

The things that Sawyer was saying were true but Charlotte still knew that not everything good lasted. "But..."

"But nothing..." Sawyer looked to Charlotte and raised her brow with a smile. "This happens. Couples break up. The best of the best spend some time in Splitsville, but they find their way back to each other in the end. You can't think this is over. I mean look at your mom and dad, my parents, Jamie and Liza." Sawyer laughed, "Liza basically threw the ring at him, and now they have two kids and have been together for ten years."

There was nothing Charlotte could say to protest Sawyer's point. She was right. Some of the greatest relationships she knew never sailed an easy course. Charlotte used her thumb to whisk away the latest falling tear, "Well, technically, Liza didn't _throw_ her ring at Jamie..."

"Okay, whatever, you know what I mean." Sawyer laughed and rolled her eyes. "Point is, you gotta fight him on this. Tell him he was being an idiot. Tell Graham you want to talk." Sawyer was nodding as she said that, hoping that her twenty three year old cousin was taking mental notes. "And most importantly, tell him you love him." Charlotte looked at Sawyer and raised her brow. She was about to say something but Sawyer cut in "Yeah, I know." The blonde haired Scott rolled over to face Charlotte more directly and nodded, "That morning you woke me and Ben up all worried about where he was. There was never a doubt in my mind you loved him. And I'd bet a lot of money on the fact that Graham loves you too." Sawyer reached across Charlotte to grab her cousin's cell phone. "Call him. Tell him you want to talk about it." She handed Charlotte the phone and nodded, "This is gonna work itself out. I promise."

"How can you be so certain?" Charlotte looked at the phone in her hands and then to Sawyer.

"I'm not. But you're never gonna know if you don't try."

After taking a deep breath, Charlotte nodded and dialed Graham's number. This was going to be one of the most important phone calls she'd probably ever make. If she couldn't get him to realize that he was enough, everything she'd hoped for, everything she wanted, the idea of them together might be a dream that would fade into a dismal reality shaded with broken promises of what could have been.

Sawyer could have gotten up to give Charlotte a little space but it was probably better that she stayed. Moral support for what might be more heartbreak.

Charlotte could feel the nerves running up and down her body as she listened to the dial tone. The line connected and Charlotte held her breath.

"It's Graham and I'm not here right now. Leave your name and number, and I'll call you back." His voice was enough to make Charlotte's eyes water.

She hung up the phone and shook her head, "It was his machine."

"You didn't leave a message?"

"This isn't the kind of thing you work out over the phone, Sawyer." Charlotte put her phone down on her bed and looked up to the ceiling.

Sawyer lifted up her butt and got her phone out of her back pocket. She dialed a number and waited for him to answer. She didn't even give him time to speak before she started talking. "Hey? Have you talked to Graham today?"

"Uh...Happy Thanksgiving to you too, O.J." Ben laughed but didn't know if it was a trick question. "Yeah. I just got off the phone a little while ago, actually. Why, what's up?"

"Charlotte just tried to get in touch with him and I didn't know if you'd talked to him about..."

"She's not with him?"

Sawyer shook her head, "What? No? Why, what did he say earlier?"

"Just that he was gonna take Banyan out for a few days before we had to leave on our trip?"

The older Scott girl was confused. "Wait, who is Banyan?"

Charlotte was listening to Sawyer's conversation and answered her question. "It's his boat."

Sawyer heard Charlotte and spoke back to Ben, "So he went out on his boat?"

"Yeah, but Charlotte's not with him? I thought he'd take her with him if it was some last hurrah before we ship out on Monday."

Obviously Graham forgot to mention to Ben that he was going out on his sailboat for a little solitude after he'd just broken up with his girlfriend. "Charlotte's not going because he broke up with her."

"What?" Ben was really scratching his head now. "Are you kidding?"

Looking at her teary eyed, snotty nosed cousin she shook her head, "No. He dropped her off after Thanksgiving with her parents and then broke up with her."

"Oh man, he didn't say anything about that."

"When did you talk to him? Do you think he's out on the water already?"

Charlotte didn't need to hear Ben's answer via Sawyer to know where he was. Of course he was already out there. He probably packed a bag, grabbed random things from his fridge and headed for the marina as soon as he got home.

Ben couldn't give Sawyer an exact time but knew that Graham was probably sitting with the wind at his back and the surf in his face, "I don't know. He's probably out on his boat now though." He checked his watch and nodded, "I'd say he left about thirty minutes ago." Ben didn't know what else he could say. "He told me that he was gonna get back on Sunday if that helps."

"Alright, thanks. I just wanted to know if you'd talked to him." Sawyer knew that Ben would want to keep talking but she'd save their boyfriend-girlfriend chat for later. "Call me tonight, alright."

"Okay, bye."

Sawyer said goodbye to Ben and looked at Charlotte. "He said Graham was gonna be home Sunday."

Charlotte took a deep breath and laughed while she wiped her eyes, "It's that damn ocean that's gonna keep us apart, isn't it?"

"You can always take your dad's boat out and find him. Be a little adventurous."

Charlotte leaned back in her pillows and shook her head, "Or dangerous."

"Just throwing it out there." Sawyer laughed, "I mean he _is_ a Coastie. What if you 'got lost' _accidentally_ and he had to come save you?"

"Sounds like a good movie, Saw, but this is life. I can wait till he get's home. It might do me a little good to give it some time." Charlotte closed her eyes and tried not to think about what Sunday might mean. There was no guarantee that they would get back together then.

Sawyer could tell that Charlotte was both mentally and physically exhausted. "Want me to get a DVD?"

"That would be great." Charlotte felt the bed shift when Sawyer got up and she pulled on the blanket at the foot of her bed. Maybe if she slept it off or rested it off, the stinging in her heart would start to fade. Maybe it would, but probably it wouldn't.

**OTHOTH **

It was late Sunday afternoon and Graham should have been on his way home. He had to get up early the next morning and head out on his Diligence patrol. But instead of driving home, Graham stayed sitting out on the porch swing at his sister's house staring at his phone. He hadn't planned this. Any of it.

At first he thought he was going to go sailing for the weekend. Let the serenity of the water wash away his doubts and insecurities, but that plan had been debunked when he realized that if he was gonna go out on his boat, he wanted it to be with Charlotte. If he was gonna go sailing it needed to be with her. But things hadn't ended up that way, so he'd driven past the marina and headed toward the Outer Banks. His sister, Lane, lived in Manteo, just across the bridge from their hometown, and Graham found himself driving that way before he knew it.

To say his family had been surprised to see him was an understatement. He'd pulled up late Thursday night and his mom, Anne, was nearly in tears at the sight of her oldest son. It wasn't often that Graham made the four hour trip home, so when Mrs. McFarland saw her son walk through her daughter's house she was in complete shock. They all thought they'd have to wait and see him at Christmas.

Eventually after initial hugs and smiles, his family had realized that things weren't going so well for Graham. He'd given them a very shortened version of his and Charlotte's split, and his whole family was incredibly disappointed to hear about it. From all Graham had said in the months prior, Charlotte was more than just some girl. Mrs. McFarland was particularly disheartened by the news. She knew that Charlotte Scott really had had a hold on her boy. Anne was looking forward to meeting the brown eyed beauty she'd heard so much about.

After the retelling of their issues, his issues, Graham kept pretty quiet the rest of the weekend. There weren't too many questions because they could all tell that Graham didn't want to talk about it. So his mom and dad, brother and sister all respected that. They gave him his space and didn't pry, but that space and personal bubble had been held for the last three days. Thursday rolled around to Sunday and Lane, Graham's older sister, wanted answers.

The thirty year old mother of two was doing the dishes at the kitchen sink and looked out through the window and saw her younger brother fumbling with his phone on the porch.

"These leftovers have really lasted, haven't they?" Mrs. McFarland waltzed into the kitchen with a few empty plates. She looked at her daughter who was looking at her son. Anne put the plates down on the counter and stood next to Lane, both of their attention thrown to the brown haired Coastie outside.

"I think he's really hurting." Lane looked at her mom and furrowed her brow.

The mother nodded back to her daughter and sighed, "I know."

Lane glanced at the clock and then back to her brother. She knew that he needed to be on the road. "Here." She handed her mom the rag she'd been using and walked toward the back door.

Graham heard the screen door smack against its frame and when he looked up he saw his greened eyed sister. He smiled as she took a seat next to him.

She sighed as she leaned back against the swing and ran her finger's through her mahogany colored hair, "So shouldn't you be leaving soon?" She arched her brown with a slight smirk, "That boat might leave without you tomorrow and I don't think the Admiral will appreciate that."

He laughed and shook his head, "No he wouldn't."

Lane knew her brother pretty well and also knew that he was stalling. This thing, this break up with Charlotte was taking it's toll. "Talk to me. Tell me what happened." Lane looked out across the backyard and smiled that the sight of the swing set. Her mommy-ness was about to kick in. "Not the Campbell's condensed version. The real stuff."

He smiled again and took a deep breath, "I..." Graham shook his head not knowing where to begin. She knew the basics so there was no need to re-tell that part. "I've been trying to call her back, but I don't know what to say?"

"Well, how do you feel?"

"Like an idiot." He let out a laugh and shook his head. "I don't know. One part of me thinks this is a good thing. I mean I know she can find someone better but the other par..."

Lane rolled her eyes, "You don't give yourself enough credit, Graham. I know I'm your sister so I have to say you're a good guy, but even if I wasn't, I'd still say it. " She shrugged her shoulders and shook her head. "Just because you two come from completely different backgrounds doesn't mean it takes you out of the running."

Graham appreciated Lane's thoughts, but his older sister wasn't the one he was trying to convince. He had to convince himself.

"So if one part of you thinks this break up is a good thing then I bet there is another part, a bigger part, that thinks you've made some mistake." Lane looked up to her brother and nodded. "I know I haven't met her, but I think you and Charlotte are much better for each other than you think." Lane nudged into his shoulder and smiled. She shook her head with a laugh, "Good enough? Smart enough? Handsome enough? It doesn't really matter. You gotta quit worrying about what she _could_ want or what you _can't_ give her." She looked hard into his eye and tried to get the message across, "You might just be _enough_."

While Graham took in Lane's thoughts they both looked up when the screen door opened.

"What am I missing out here? Some secretive brother and sister conversation I'm not invited to?" Crawford looked up to the two year old little boy perched on his shoulders and loudly whispered, "I don't think they like me, Harrison."

"Oh, that's not true." Lane got up an shook her head at her twenty two year old brother. She held her hands reaching for her son. "Come here you. Uncle Crawford is just being silly."

Crawford stepped back and furrowed his brow, "Whoa, wait a second. He likes it up there. Right, pal?" The toddler smiled wide but Crawford could see that Lane wasn't exactly buying it. "Really look..." Crawford shook his shoulders and Harrison wrapped his hands around his uncle's face laughing that adorable little boy laugh. Crawford came to a stop and moved one of the boy's hands away so he could see, "And he won't fall off. I'm holding on tight."

"Phillip put you up to this didn't he? He just wants to see me squirm as my more than reckless little brother gallops around with my two year old on his shoulders?" Lane glanced to the kitchen and could see that her husband was precariously perched by the window. He was most definitely watching to get a laugh.

"Hey. Just because I have a motorcycle doesn't mean I'm reckless." Crawford's upper lip frowned and he narrowed his eyes.

"Momo!" Harrison patted Crawford's head and smiled wide. "Me, Momo!"

Crawford laughed and smirked at his older sister, "I think I'm rubbing off on him."

Graham smiled and listened to the banter go back and forth between his brother and sister. He missed this. Them. All of them. But seeing them together, watching them laugh and smile, he couldn't help but remember that it was the same atmosphere he'd felt at the Scott's on Thanksgiving. And thinking about that made him think about Charlotte.

He quietly walked off the back porch and nervously looked at his phone. He needed to call her.

Charlotte had left a message a little while ago but he hadn't found a good time to listen to it. This was that time. Graham walked to the driveway and leaned against his Tahoe as he put in his voice-mail password. The voice on the phone told him he had one new message and Graham could feel the lump in his throat. It seemed to go down a bit when he heard her voice though.

"Hey. It's me. Listen...? I want to talk about this, about us. I uh, I hope your trip is going well. Just, um, call me later, okay? Bye."

Graham had to think before he called her back. He had to come to a decision. Was this final? Would they work it out? Maybe a break would do them good? Then they could see where it picked up after that? What was the best scenario?

He wasn't one hundred percent sold on his decision but it least it would give them time.

Dialing her number, Graham raised the phone to his ear and waited for her to pick up. The cold breeze stung against his cheeks as the wind picked up but the nerves running through his body sent a fire to his very core.

"Hi."

That voice. Her voice. It was something he needed to hear. Graham swallowed hard before he started talking. "Hey." He paused and ran his fingers through his hair, "Sorry I missed your calls. I uh..." Graham scratched his head and looked around his sister's front yard. "I came up to see Lane and my family before I leave tomorrow. I meant to call you back earlier. I did. I just..." Graham didn't want to do this over the phone but there was no other way for him to do it right now.

"Oh." Charlotte had thought he'd gone out on his boat. At least she didn't have to worry about him out on the ocean by himself. "I bet they were happy to see you."

"Yeah, they were." He nodded and then shrugged, "I know you thought I was gonna take my boat out but somehow I ended up here, and then I got busy with family and..." He was rambling now and he sighed, "Sorry."

She didn't need an explanation. He was able to go where he wanted to go. "No, yeah, I get it."

There was an uncomfortable silence and Charlotte knew that they were running out of time. Time to talk, time to see each other, time in general. The Outer Banks were basically on the north eastern tip of the state while she was at the very south eastern part. It was a long drive back to Tree Hill and she didn't know if she'd get to see him before he left in the morning. "When...when do you think you're coming home?"

He looked at his watch and then glanced up into the late afternoon sun. "I guess I'm gonna leave in an hour or so."

Charlotte did the math and that would put him home somewhere around nine thirty later that night. "Well look, I don't know what you're planning to do tonight, but, can we talk about...us, when you get back?"

Shaking his head, Graham wished it could be that simple. "Before we make plans, I think that maybe we need this. A break."

"Graham?" Charlotte's tone was full of regret and sorrow, "Why?"

"Because...because I think I need to sort things out. I need to figure out what everything means."

Charlotte could feel her eyes start to well. He was about to give her the 'it's not you, it's me' speech. "But you leave tomorrow..."

He knew that. "I know."

"So I'm just supposed to wait and let you ship off tomorrow hoping you figure out whatever you need to figure out while your gone?"

"No, God..." Graham really didn't want to do this over the phone. "I just think it's better this way right now."

She didn't know how to respond. Charlotte kept quiet for a few seconds. "What can I say to make you realize that you were wrong. That everything you are, I want?" Her voice was full of emotion as she realized she was fighting a losing battle. He seemed to already have his mind made up.

This time Graham was the one who didn't know what to say. He sighed into the phone but Charlotte interrupted him before he could get a word in.

"So this is it? You're leaving tomorrow and this is our goodbye?"

Graham felt his chest filling with guilt. "I'm sorry."

Wiping away her latest tear, Charlotte nodded, "Me too." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Bye, Graham."

"Bye." He'd hardly gotten to finish his word before he heard the dial tone.

If it was possible, they'd ended worse on the phone now, than they had on her front porch. Neither situation had gone as planned and the words that needed to be said still hadn't been. No I love yous, nothing. It was more or less a game of cat and mouse that was getting old, fast. Someone needed to get over whatever it was they were nervous or hesitant about it and say it soon.

**OTHOTH**

Later that night Charlotte was lying on her bed wishing she hadn't eaten half the tube of cookie dough. She would have to remind herself to get mad at her mom for passing that down to her.

Full of Pillsbury chocolate chip, she rolled over in her pillows and wanted the night to be over. Not only was the cookie dough settling heavy, but Charlotte was also feeling horribly about what had transpired over the phone. Had she been a coward because she hadn't told him she loved him? Why wasn't he saying it? Didn't he love her too? How awful were the next seventeen days going to be?

"Hey?" Sawyer stuck her head in Charlotte's room and leaned against the door frame. "Are you sure, like absolutely positive you want to stay home tonight? You're more than welcome to get tacos with me and Ben."

Charlotte smiled but shook her head. She didn't want to be that third wheel tonight. "No yeah, I'll be fine. Thanks though."

Sawyer knew she would say that. "And if I see _him_ tonight, can I still kick him in the ass?" There was a high probability that Sawyer would see Graham at some point. It was likely she'd end up sleeping at the guys' place anyway.

Shaking her head again, Charlotte let out a laugh, "No."

"Well can I kick you in your ass and tell you to get up and go see him?"

"Sawyer..." Charlotte sunk back in the pillows with a loud sigh.

The elder Scott shrugged, "What? You two are like that annoying couple who won't man up and really talk to each other. It's not that hard."

"Yes it is." To Charlotte it felt impossible. She looked up to Sawyer and shook her head. "After you fall for Ben and then he rips the rug out from under you and breaks your heart then you won't be giving me such a hard time."

Sawyer lifted her brow because that wasn't going to happen. Not on her watch.

Charlotte rested her hand on her chest and shook her head, "I feel like I'm stepping on glass. Anything I say might make or break us."

"But that's the thing, Charlotte. You and Graham are both thinking too much and doing too little. If you could turn off that Ivy league mind for a minute and just stop thinking about it and talk face to face, you'd probably get it all worked out."

A part of Charlotte knew Sawyer was right. "That's easier said than done, Saw."

"Okay, fine." Sawyer shrugged and turned to the door. "I don't want to keep going over this so I'll see you later."

Charlotte heard Sawyer walk through the hallway, the living room, and then the front door opened and closed. She laid her head against her pillows and looked toward the ceiling. Sawyer was right, wasn't she? Charlotte should go over and talk to him. Maybe she should, but then again, all Charlotte could hear were Graham's words ringing in her ears about taking a break.

It was too confusing. There were too many roads she could take on this and Charlotte wanted a map to tell her which would be the best. Unfortunately she didn't have that kind of map. To be realistic it was okay for her to be so hesitant about how to handle everything. Graham was the only guy she'd every really loved. Up at Brown none of the guys she dated had really been all that serious, she'd had an on again off again relationship in high school with a guy she thought she loved, but compared to this, compared to the beating in her chest and the worry in her stomach, no one was like Graham. So screwing it up wasn't on Charlotte's list of things to-do. And maybe that was the problem. She was still young and a little naïve about everything. Maybe she wasn't sure what to do because she was in a reality she wasn't prepared for.

Charlotte continued to look at the ceiling and was studying the various specs of paint that didn't seem to match. Casualties of a old house she presumed. Getting off the bed, she made her way to the kitchen and figured that dinner, a shower, and a Sunday night prime-time soap would take her mind away from things.

It did. For the better half of Charlotte's night, she was able to not think about Graham, or the fact that he was leaving in the morning. It didn't all hit her until she climbed back into bed and and drowned herself in a sea of covers. Her bare foot swept across her sheets and met something soft but familiar. She reached down and pulled up a single sock. It was about twice the size of one she would wear and she knew who's it was. It was Graham's.

Charlotte looked at the sock for a minute, trying to place the occasion where it had gotten tangled up in the sheets. If she'd remembered correctly, it was about a week ago.

_Charlotte had woken up first. The morning light was shining through her windows and she blinked a few times allowing her eyes to adjust. Stretching, her back rubbed against his chest and Charlotte felt Graham move his arm around her. She couldn't help but smile and turned to face him. His eyes were still closed and his breathing was at a calming pace. Charlotte studied him for a little while. His hair was smushed against the pillows and his nostrils flared every now and then. There were whiskers coming in and Charlotte tried to imagine what he might look like with facial hair._

_Graham peeked one of his eyes open and started to smile, "You have a habit of staring, you know."_

_Charlotte's cheeks turned bright red and she shook her head, "I do not."_

_Opening both eyes and nodding, Graham protested. "Mmm-huh. And that blush of yours is killing your poker face." He laughed and scooted closer to her. "But I don't think I mind."_

"_Oh, you don't?" Charlotte smirked and laughed when he rolled on top of her._

"_Nope." He shook his head and leaned down and placed a few soft kisses on her jaw line. "Mmm... what time is it?" Graham had moved to the other side working his way along her neck._

_Charlotte could feel her smile as his lips landed on her skin and she shook her head, "I don't know..." She grabbed a handful of his hair and brought their mouths together. _

_Time wasn't really a main concern for either of them. Charlotte had an alarm set so when they needed to get up, they'd know._

_Graham had inched his fingertips along the hem of her tank-top and a swarm of butterflies filled her stomach. It happened every time. Charlotte helped him out and raised her arms and soon enough they were both topless. _

_He studied her and his green eyes glistened when they met her big brown ones. "Morning."_

_That blush crept across her cheeks again and she smiled, "Morning."_

_Graham hoovered over her petite frame for a moment and he could feel her hands run up and down his back. Her fingertips were light and delicate but left a trail of desire along his skin. He wasn't going to be able to just keep kissing and looking at her for much longer._

_Charlotte moved her hands from his back to his side and stopped when they reached the waistline of his sweatpants. He couldn't take it anymore and they both knew where things were headed next. Completely wrapped up in each other they found themselves captivated by each other and their movements. The alarm had started going off but neither Charlotte nor Graham seemed to care._

_Somebody else did though. After listening to that annoying tone through the thin walls of the house she shared with her cousin, Sawyer angrily flipped her covers off her body and stomped to Charlotte's room. She swung open the door and had her hands firmly placed on her hips. "Dammit. I don't have to go to work till nine thirty, Charlotte!"_

_Realizing she and Graham had company, Charlotte shrieked, "Sawyer!" Charlotte flung the covers over her already scantily clad body, mortified._

_Sawyer didn't care about what she'd just so casually walked in on. She only wanted to go back to sleep."Oh whatever. Just get it to stop."_

_Graham started laughing and knew that Charlotte was probably the deepest shade of red hiding under those covers. He looked at Sawyer and nodded, "I got it."_

_He scooted over to the bedside table and hit the snooze button._

"_Thank you." Sawyer smiled and looked at the two bodies with a smirk, "You two can go back to doing what you were doing." She couldn't help but laugh as she walked away._

_Charlotte was still buried under her embarrassment and Graham leaned down to try and dig her out. "Um..." He couldn't even find the words to say._

"_Oh my God," Charlotte muffled as she shook her head, still under the covers._

"_It..it wasn't so bad." Graham tired to sound convincing but he knew Charlotte, and he knew that she was more than embarrassed._

_Finally pulling the covers over her face, Charlotte shook her head, "Oh my God."_

_He tried not to laugh but he couldn't help it. "You said that already."_

"_This...I can't even...oh God."_

_Graham smiled and propped his head up with his hand, "Yeah, you were pretty quick to try and cover yourself up there." He laughed and looked down at his feet. "I think you pushed one of my socks off you were in such a rush."_

_She wasn't so worried about their clothes at the moment, Charlotte was more worried that Sawyer had just walked in on them. _

"_We weren't even..."_

"_Almost. We were almost there." Charlotte's eyes were wide and she was shaking her head. Granted they were both in their underwear still, the fact that Sawyer caught them was mortifying. She had the sheet up to her chest and her arms crossed regretting the fact she hadn't locked the door last night._

_All Graham could do was smile. "Guess we better get up." He kissed her on the forehead and rolled off the bed headed for the bathroom._

_Charlotte could help but watch him with his black boxer briefs and one sock walk away. She leaned over and grabbed her tank-top from off the floor and the alarm started to go off again. She hit the button and shook her head. If she hadn't woken up early none of this would have happened. Alarms were made for a reason._

That same alarm started to sound and Charlotte realized that somewhere between remembering that morning Sawyer walked in on them and those long lasting yawns, she'd fallen asleep. She glanced around her room and took a deep breath when she saw the lone sock she'd pulled out of her bed last night. There would be no morning tryst today.

And as Charlotte reminisced about Graham she realized it was too much to throw away. Together, they made sense and she needed to tell him that. She needed to go see him.

Hopping off her bed and getting a quick shower, Charlotte knew that she needed to get down to the Riverwalk before the Dilengce sailed away. It was 5:45am and they were set to leave at 6:30am. Showered, dressed, made up, and throwing her school bag around her shoulder, Charlotte was ready to leave. She had seventeen minutes to get downtown.

Running out of the house she quickly got into her car and put the key into the ignition. She turned it but there was nothing. "Oh, you've got to be kidding." Her eyes widened and she smacked the steering wheel. "Please!" She tried again and it was the same outcome, nothing. "Come on, come on, come on!" She looked around her Volvo and realized she knew nothing about cars or what could be wrong. Trying one more time, her heart skipped a beat when the car started right up. "Oh yes, finally!" She looked at the clock on the dash and realized that the seventeen minute window and been shaved down to eleven.

Punching it, Charlotte peeled out of the driveway and knew she was going to be cutting it close, and red light after red light made the prospects seem dim. She couldn't catch a break.

"This is ridiculous!" Charlotte glanced out of the window and tried to come up with the fastest route downtown. One preferably free of traffic lights.

Four minutes to go and her hopes of seeing Graham before he left were fading fast.

And when it was four minutes to go Graham was the one who kept looking at his watch. He hadn't asked to her come and he wasn't necessarily expecting her to but it didn't mean he didn't want it. As he tightened up the ropes and kept himself busy, Graham couldn't help but notice all his buddies getting the chance to say goodbye to their loved ones. It was bittersweet. On one hand he wished he was getting the chance to do the same thing but on the other he knew it would be hard to say goodbye. In part because he sort of already had.

Graham caught a glimpse of Sawyer and Ben, and he figured they'd be inseparable until the captain blew that horn calling for all aboard.

"Graham?" A spark of hope burst through his system at the sound of a female voice. He turned around and that hope was lost. Had he thought about it, he would have instantly recognized that it wasn't her voice. Charlotte's voice had a certain ring to it and this woman's just wasn't the same.

"Mrs. Turner, it's good to see you." Graham smiled at the captain's wife.

The fifty year old lady smiled and handed him a little plastic baggy, "I made all the boys my homemade cheese straws."

"Oh, well, thank you." Graham appreciated the gesture.

Mrs. Turner smiled, "You have a good trip and don't let Lou be to hard on you fellas.

Graham shook his head. His captain was the best of the best. An incredibly respected man who knew exactly how to run a ship. "He won't be."

That familiar horn blew and Graham felt Mrs. Tuner lightly touch his arm. "Have a safe trip."

"Yes ma'am we will, thank you." Graham watched as the woman walked away and blew a kiss up to the captain's quarters. Graham then looked to where Sawyer and Ben where and apparently neither of them had realized what that horn meant. "Ben! We gotta go!"

Ben could hear the others yell for him and he smiled down at the girl he was saying bye to, "Catch ya later, O.J."

Rolling her eyes, Sawyer planted one last kiss on him and smacked him on the butt while she walked away, "Don't miss me too much." She threw one of those Scott smirks his way and arched her brow. If she could pin point the reasons that made her crazy about that blabbering, tow headed, overgrown twelve year old, she would but she couldn't. He'd remain a mystery and that was perfectly fine for Sawyer.

But something even more puzzling than Sawyer and Ben was the fact that it was taking Charlotte a million and a half minutes to get downtown. She was almost there and if she could stop time for a moment, she might have a chance.

"Turn green, turn green!" Charlotte was bringing out the inner cheerleader. Maybe if she could encourage the traffic lights fate would let the rest run its course?

It was two minutes till departure time and Charlotte felt the lump form in her throat. If she'd learned anything about the military while being with Graham it was that they were incredibly punctual. Turning down Market Street she could see the water of the Cape Fear and her nerves started to kick in. How was she going to do this? Run aboard and tell the captain he'd need to wait? Flail her arms around like a crazy person trying to get everyone's attention?

As Charlotte got closer and closer to the end of the street she saw the one thing she'd been dreading. There would be no running aboard, no flailing arms, the Diligence was slowly puttering upstream. She'd missed her chance.

Charlotte's heart sank into the pit of her stomach and she pulled over to the curb. She'd missed her opportunity and like the rapids of the Cape Fear, streams of tears started falling down her cheeks. Charlotte hadn't meant to cry. She didn't want to. It was just the only thing left she knew how to do. It would be seventeen more days until she talked to him. Seventeen more days until she could see him. Seventeen days of waiting and it was going to suck.

Pulling down the visor and studying her mascara covered face, Charlotte took a deep breath and gathered herself. She couldn't walk into school looking like such a mess. She needed to look like a responsible, capable adult who could answer and solve students' problems, not someone who couldn't handle her own.

Charlotte pulled out of the parking space and knew she needed to get out of there. Get away from it all and stop thinking about what could have happened. There was nothing she could do about it now and the next seventeen days she was going to try and focus on everything but Graham McFarland.

Fat chance that would happen.

**OTHOTH**

It was just after lunch when the boy she was trying to forget about popped back into her mind. More literally Charlotte's office. She been eating in the cafeteria with a few of the first year teachers and when she came back Graham hadn't shown up, but a vase of purple flowers and a little box had.

It was like the universe was playing tricks on her. Mean, dirty little tricks.

Charlotte sat down at her desk and knew without a doubt who everything was from. She stared at the little card for what seemed like forever until she finally reached for it and read what it had to say.

_I'll be home soon. -Graham_

It was that simple. Four words and his signature and Charlotte could feel those tears starting to form. Graham had obviously forgotten to cancel the delivery before he'd left. Now the purple flowers and whatever was in the Clothes over Bro's box were constant reminders that he was at sea and had taken her heart with him.

"Ooh, aren't those pretty?" Nancy, the woman who ran the front desk popped her head in Charlotte's door and smiled.

The fact that she had company made Charlotte's throat close up and her eyes water even faster.

"Oh honey, what is it?"

Wiping a tear away, Charlotte shook her head, "Nothing. It's nothing. I'm fine?"

The older woman didn't buy it. She glanced at her watch and then to the flowers and Charlotte's saddened face. "Well how about you take the afternoon off. I can get someone in here to fill in for you if anyone needs some guidance."

That was the best thing she'd heard all day. "I'm..."

Nancy didn't want Charlotte protesting. "We all have those days. It's fine. We'll be alright here. You go on home and fix whatever it is you need fixin'"

Charlotte's breath caught in her throat and she nodded. "Thank you."

The gray haired woman smiled and walked away to the front desk leaving Charlotte to herself. Quickly packing up her bag, Charlotte slung it across her shoulder, hid her reddened eyes with her sun glasses, and picked up the delivery that had her so torn up.

She'd smiled at a few of the women she walked by and held that smile until she got to her car. She carefully put the flowers in the passenger seat and drove off towards Tric.

The gravel crunched as she pulled her car in an empty space and thankfully neither her aunt nor her mother were there. It wasn't that she didn't love and appreciate the support they'd give her, but sometimes less was more. Talking it over with Sawyer would be drama enough.

Reaching for the flowers, Charlotte got out of the car and headed up the creaky iron steps. There were a few regulars at the bar and as much as she wanted a drink, she abstained and went straight for the studio.

Sawyer was sitting at her desk with her headphones in going over paperwork. Something only Sawyer could do with one hundred percent accuracy.

Charlotte set the flowers on Sawyer's desk and watched as her cousin pulled her earphones away.

"Hey..." Sawyer looked at the flowers and arched her brow, "...thanks for the flowers?"

"I was doing so well. I was getting used to the fact that he was gone, and then BAM! I come back from lunch and I swear I thought it was some trick. Flowers, a box, and a card." Charlotte's eyes were getting misty just re-telling it.

"Whoa, whoa. Wait a second?" Sawyer glanced at the flowers and winced, "These are from Graham?"

"Yes! Apparently last week or something he thought it would be sweet to send me something. But he forgot about it I guess."

"Ew, that sucks."

"Sawyer! That's not exactly the response I was looking for."

The elder Scott girl shrugged. "What do you want me to say, Charlotte? Sorry your boyfriend's..." Sawyer hesitated after saying that word because she didn't know what to call Graham. "...timing sucks, but hey, it's really cute that he wanted to send you something?" Sawyer was still agitated that Charlotte hadn't done anything proactive in trying to save this relationship she seemed to care so much about.

Knowing why Sawyer wasn't exactly in a 'pity-me' mood, Charlotte sighed, "Well just so you know, I did try and see him this morning. I tried to get to the docks before six thirty but my car wouldn't start and then I hit every single red light possible..." Charlotte ran her hand over her brow and shook her head, "I was this close." Measuring about an inch with her pointer finger and thumb, Charlotte shook her head. "I was on Market Street when the boat untied and headed out to sea. So don't give me the 'you're not being proactive' tirade. I tried."

Sawyer felt bad that she'd been a little less than inviting to Charlotte. "Okay, so sorry about that. Or, er, a couple things. Sorry I've been a little bitchy about it and that you missed the boat this morning."

Charlotte appreciated the apology and sat down in the chair across from Sawyer, "So what do I do now?"

Pushing the pen behind her ear, Sawyer set down her stack of papers and leaned back in her chair, "Honestly, I don't know. Maybe you can find someone else with the answers but just know that things will get better. No matter what happens."

It wasn't exactly the advice she was looking for but in another respect it was. If Sawyer didn't have the answers she needed, she knew somebody who would.

"Alright, okay." Charlotte got up and started to walk away. "I'll see you at home later."

"Wait, what about these?" Sawyer pointed to her flowers with a furrowed brow.

Charlotte shrugged, "Keep 'em. Your desk could use a little color."

Sawyer rolled her eyes as Charlotte walked out to the parking lot. That little meeting hadn't gone as planned but the next one was sure to give her a clearer state of mind. If anyone knew what she was feeling or how she was feeling it might be Liza. She had been in the same type of break up with Jamie years ago.

Starting her car, Charlotte drove toward her brother's house in hopes of finding some resolution about everything.

The door was unlocked and Charlotte walked through the front door quietly in case Claire was asleep. "Liza," Charlotte whispered as she made her way further into the home. "Liza?"

Hearing footsteps, Liza curiously walked out of the laundry room and smiled when she saw the brunette in her kitchen. "Hey."

"Hey." Charlotte sat down on one of the tools and put her purse up on the counter, "Can we talk?"

"Yeah, sure? Is everything okay?" Liza nodded and when she heard Charlotte sigh, she reached into a cabinet and got out two glasses and a pitcher of sweet tea. "Is this about Graham?"

Charlotte nodded and took the glass from Liza, "Thanks."

Sitting down, Liza's blue eyes looked to Charlotte's browns and she took a deep breath. "What can I do to help?"

"I...I just. Well, remember when you and Jamie split up a while back."

Liza's eyes widened and she nodded. It wasn't exactly something she liked to replay on a constant basis. They'd broken up for a short amount of time but the time apart had felt like a lifetime.

Charlotte shrugged, "I mean it was kinda for the same reason that Graham broke up with me, so how did you get past it?"

Liza took a deep breath, "I had to come to terms with what was going on. Jamie was saying one thing and I was thinking another. I thought he was settling for someone who was holding him back. I thought I was keeping him from that job and I didn't want to be _that_ girl. Ugh, God, that was so long ago and it seems really dumb now, but..." Liza shrugged, "...I think we came out better because of it."

That was true. Charlotte knew that, and she knew the whole story about what had happened. The tears, the ring, the car miles logged on the odometer. It probably wasn't the prettiest part of the Jamie and Liza story but it certainly magnified it. "Do you think that's what Graham's worried about?"

"Maybe?" The blonde haired, ex-soccer player ran her fingers through her hair, "I will say in his defense that he might have been a little overwhelmed by everyone at Thanksgiving. He's just a normal guy who got mixed in with all the famous people and it's a little unnerving." Liza laughed and shook her head, "Gah, I remember how nervous I was when I met your parents. I can understand on his part where he's coming from."

"But he was fine when he met Mom and Dad." Charlotte furrowed her brow, "And you were more than calm when you came here the first time."

Liza laughed out loud. "Ha. I think I drank a bottle of Pepto-Bismol before the car ride, and I'd even been reading An Unkindness of Ravens to help me out in any way it could."

Charlotte got quiet and then looked to Liza's sky blue eyes, "Are we _that_ different?"

"No. No. You're not. And that's what makes things so hard to grasp. I think Graham, and even myself, got a little cloudy on that. I think we both expected for y'all to be so extraordinary, such a spectacle, then when we found out the Scotts are just like the rest of us, it threw us for a loop." Liza didn't know if that had made any sense. "We expect one thing and get the complete opposite."

"So how do I make Graham realize that, that I'm normal? I want what he wants? That I want him?"

The older woman shook her head, "That's the tricky part. He might wake up tomorrow and realize he made a mistake. It could be a month from now, or it could be in five minutes, or yesterday. Who knows what will set him off. It could be something he sees, you say, or anything."

"How'd you know?" Charlotte knew how things had worked out but she didn't mind hearing it again.

"I was sitting at a rest stop between Chapel Hill and Nashville somewhere, and I saw this family walking to their car and you know how kids always try and open locked car doors? Well, the little boy who was about five kept trying to open the door but he couldn't get in. The dad kept pushing the unlock button but since the son was tugging on the handle the lock was moving. I just burst into tears at the sight and I knew I'd made a horrible mistake." Stuck car doors had always been Jamie and Liza's thing.

Charlotte started to feel tears coming on because the rest of what happened had been such a great story. "So there was a moment?"

"Yeah. It was secondary to what was happening to me but I knew then that Jamie was it." Liza smiled and looked to Charlotte, "Graham will have one of those moments. Maybe he already has? Him being out on the water doesn't exactly help you guys but when he gets home you'll have your answer then."

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte nodded. At least Liza had been reassuring. Maybe Graham would come around. Maybe when he got back on dry land she could convince him of anything he'd been doubting. Hopefully that was the case.

**OTHOTH**

Those next two plus weeks had gone by rather quickly and soon enough the Diligence and Graham would be home. Charlotte had done a pretty good job of keeping herself busy and now it was time to head downtown. This time she was getting there early.

Charlotte was picking out what to wear when Sawyer walked in her room.

"So what's the plan?"

Turning to her cousin, Charlotte shrugged, "You. Me. Riverwalk in twenty minutes."

Liking Charlotte's attitude, Sawyer nodded, "Alright. One car or two?"

"One." Charlotte took a look in the mirror and realize that Sawyer probably would want clarification. "We can take yours."

"Well yeah." Sawyer laughed because that was never not an option. "I'm gonna throw on a change of clothes and I'll be ready in a minute."

Charlotte nodded and turned her attention back to her clothes. Jeans and what kind of top? Nothing too fancy. Reaching for the brown turtle neck, she pulled it on and the reached for her black jacket. Her hair was down and she tucked a few strands behind her ear as she debated on he make-up choices. The cold temperature was sure to get her cheeks rosy so too much blush and she'd look like a clown.

Deciding against the blush and only applying a thin coat of waterproof mascara, Charlotte took one last look and walked out her room. "Sawyer?"

"Yeah, hold on."

Charlotte nervously walked around the living room and when Sawyer came out of her room Charlotte couldn't help but laugh at Sawyer's shirt. "Ninja Turtles?"

Looking down at her shirt, Sawyer kinked her brow, "_Vintange_, Ninja Turtles."

"I take it Ben's a fan?"

Sawyer nodded, "Of that and every other thing little boys like. Comic books, superheroes, crime fighting turtles, and I wouldn't rule out Tonka Trucks."

Charlotte started to laugh. Never in a million years would she have pictured Sawyer falling for some goofy man-child. Ben was sweet and incredibly caring, but the absolute opposite who Sawyer went for. "You ready?"

Sawyer pulled out her keys and nodded. The twosome walked outside into the cold December air and Charlotte got more and more nervous with every step toward the car.

"Have you figured out what you're gonna say?"

"Not exactly." Charlotte shook her head, "I didn't want to over think it."

Sawyer fired up the old Volkswagen's engine and looked to Charlotte apologetically, "The heat will take a while."

"I know." Charlotte looked to Sawyer and nodded. She felt the car dip out of the driveway and then they were headed toward the water. Anxiety and worry plagued her mind but whatever he said, whatever she said was going to be better than nothing.

Every light they hit was green and it didn't take but five minutes to get downtown. Sawyer pulled into an open space and looked toward the setting sun. The reflection of the water sent golden hues every which way and she was starting to feel butterflies like Charlotte had. Both Scott girls anxiously waited for the boat to arrive. The two guys they cared about where about to come home and it had been long awaited.

But waiting wasn't only done by the girls. Graham and Ben were having those same feelings. Ben knew that Sawyer would be waiting for him but Graham wasn't so sure about Charlotte. They hadn't talked about the specifics for when he came home but if she wasn't there, he was going to be sure and head to her place right away.

"Alright men, expect to dock in about eleven minutes." Captain Turner's voice rang through the loud speaker and when Graham looked out ahead of them he could see the old bridge that lead into the city. They were almost home.

"Feels good, doesn't it?" Ben put his hands on Graham's shoulders and shook him semi-violently. He loved the fact that they were almost home.

Laughing after his brain had settled, Graham nodded, "Yeah, it does."

Ben looked as excited as a six year old on Christmas. The kind that still believed in Santa Claus. His smile was growing and he was rubbing his hands together. "I'm so ready to get off this boat."

"I can tell." Graham laughed and shook his head.

Realizing his friend wasn't as enthusiastic, Ben remembered that there was still this whole Charlotte and Graham debacle. "Maybe she'll be there?" He looked at Graham and hopefully shrugged, "Sawyer might have dragged out down to the dock." Graham turned to Ben with a furrowed brow. Dragged wasn't exactly the best word choice. "Okay, not dragged, but whatever."

Graham looked across the water and nodded, "Maybe."

Back on dry land Sawyer started to squint and pointed at the vessel cruising up the Cape. "That's them."

Charlotte looked to where Sawyer was pointing and nodded, "Yeah."

Sawyer opened up her door and started to get out. She turned back to Charlotte who wasn't moving, "Well aren't you coming?"

"I'll catch up with you in a minute." Charlotte smiled at her cousin and watched as Sawyer walked toward the crowd of other Coastie families or loved ones. There was a knot in her stomach and she felt like she couldn't breathe. For the last three weeks she'd wanted this day to come but now that it was here, Charlotte was terrified.

The boat got closer and closer and she knew she needed to get up and walk over to it. Walk over to him.

Captain Turner reached for his radio and clicked it in place, "All hands on deck. Let's tie her up."

Ben had been spotted Sawyer in the crowd and was slow to move to his position.

"Ben, come on. She'll be waiting for you when we get done." Graham laughed as he patted Ben on the back. He couldn't help but run his eyes across the crowd in hopes of spotting Charlotte. She wasn't there though.

The Diligence crew tightened and tied everything they needed and when the captain dismissed everyone Graham watched as his fellow Coasties reunited with their families. Sawyer and Ben had disappeared somewhere but he had a feeling he'd seem them later at the apartment.

Captain Turner walked down from his quarters and tilted his hat toward Graham, "Good run, McFarland. Nice work out there."

"Thank you, Sir."

Graham watched as the older man stepped off the boat and greeted that sweet lady who'd made extraordinary cheese straws. Kneeling down by the starboard bow line, Grham started to mess with the ropes. They was perfectly fine, tight and secure but Graham was just piddling around wasting time.

"Permission to step aboard?"

Graham felt a smile curl across his lips. Charlotte _had_ come. He'd recognize that voice paired with that sailing jargon anywhere. He turned around and saw her. He nodded and watched her walk towards him. "Hey."

She wanted to wrap her arms around him and she did. Charlotte couldn't help herself. It was the natural thing to want to do. The feel of his body pressed against hers made her realize how much she missed him. "Hi." They seemed to stand like that forever and when she did pull away she met him with a nervous smile, "How are you?"

"Good. Patrolling went pretty smooth, so the trip went well."

"Good, I'm glad." Charlotte took a deep breath and swallowed hard. "I wanna fix this, Graham."

He nodded, "I know. I do too, I think..."

"Wait." Charlotte stopped him. "Before you think about anything let me say something." He nodded and Charlotte bit her bottom lip. "On Thanksgiving when you were telling me all those things, did it ever cross your mind that I don't care about all that stuff? You can't honestly say that I'm one of those girls who cares about money or social status or any of that, can you?"

"No. I just... Charlotte..." Graham took a deep breath and ran his fingers through his hair, "I think I got scared."

"Of what? Me?"

He shook his head, "No, of all of it."

"Why? Because you think I need fancy things or lots of money to be happy? That's not me and you know it."

"I know I think I just used that as an excuse". Graham's green eyes looked hard into her eyes and he shook his head, "I got scared because I love you, Charlotte. I'm in love with you and knowing that..."

It was the one thing she'd wanted to hear and the way it sounded was exactly how she'd imagined. She stepped closer to him and laughed shaking her head, "Will you stop that? The good enough crap." Charlotte wrapped her arms around his sides, "I love that your mom's a city clerk. I love that your dad is a carpenter.." She laughed as she said the next part, "And I love, hate the fact that you jump out of helicopters to save people."

He smiled and started to say something.

She shook her head and looked up to him, "And you know what? I love you too." Charlotte smiled and nodded, "I have for a long time and maybe I should have said..."

Graham leaned down and kissed her before she could finish. If it had been anyone who'd said it first, it should have been him. If he'd said it back when he'd first felt it, they might not be in the place they were now.

Charlotte was over the apologies, she just wanted everything to get back to normal. "Graham, none of it means anything if I'm not with you. I want you to know that."

His arms were around her and he looked into her deep brown eyes, "I'm sorry. God, I'm so sorry. I should have never thought..."

She reached up and pushed her finger of the hair above his ear, "Hey, listen... You're _enough_. You are _exactly_ what I need and I love you. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that. Don't think for a second that you aren't, or you won't be. Because you are."

Graham could feel his spirits rise and a weight lift off his chest. Deep down he knew that. It was just that hearing her say that made him realize how ridiculous it was for him to have thought about it in the first place. "I love you."

"I love you too." She got up on her tiptoes to kiss him once more and leaned into his warm embrace.

Charlotte looked around the boat and realized they were right back where'd they started. Not at all in the mentality of their relationship but physically they were. Standing on that boat, Charlotte was experiencing deja vu. Their first date, that first night, Graham had taken her up on the boat where they'd shared their first kiss. Now it was six months later and they were together sharing a moment that would last a lifetime.

Charlotte and Graham had passed this hurdle and after experiencing that, they were pretty sure they could face whatever else life threw at them.

**OTHOTH**

**Alright guys, so how was that. Long. I know. Mammoth would be more like it, but I wanted to get multiple frames in here so apologies on the length. How many of you caught all that foreshadowing? Jamie and Liza readers...you'll be finding out about what happens with them in their story. Sawyer and Ben...hmm, what's gonna happen with them? And the Charlotte and Graham...yeah, there's still drama to come. Hang tight to see what all unfolds.**

**My reviewers! I love you guys! Seriously. Thank you for all the feedback. Everything you say and suggest I write down and try to incorporate. Thanks so much!**

**Blurrystars: I'm so happy you liked last chapter even with the context of what happened with Charlotte and Graham. Including the whole gang was fun but incredibly hard. Writing so many people is so hard, lol. I'm happy you enjoyed it though. I think I'd like to see a Thanksgiving (or something of that nature) episode as well. Hopefully you enjoyed the new chapter.**

**MagicalNaley23: Yes, you're very right. When insecurities set in it's very hard to reverse how you feel. I totally understand that you wanted to hate Graham for his reasons. In my opinion he knew that Charlotte didn't really care about the money or anything superficial but I think it was something that he worried about and ran with. We didn't see the whole gang and their reaction (can you imagine how long that would have been,lol?), but I did add in Sawyer and Liza for some more character reaction. Hopefully that helped.**

**2old4oth: First off can I just say that I love your 'pen name'! Ha, too old for OTH, na. There's not an age limit. I'm sorry last chapter included the road block but you're right (and as revealed by this new chapter) they do find their way back to each other. Marriage and babies won't be too far off. I really appreciate the feedback and it's so great to know you enjoy my stories! Thanks!**

**BDavis: I'm so happy you really liked last chapter considering what happened. I know that it was pretty rough for everyone who loves Charlotte and Graham, but hopefully this chapter made up for the discomfort of last chapter. It's so great to also know that you liked the way I added in the other characters everybody knows and love.**

**Anon: Well I'm glad you've decided to give this story another try. That means a lot. I know it can be hard to get into a story who has a character whom doesn't even technically exist in the OTH world. I hope you continue to read on and find out what happens with Charlotte and Graham anyways. I appreciate the feedback!**

**Always and Forever: The purple flower thing is something I couldn't not do. I had Graham give Charlotte purple flowers in a chapter before last and I figured it would be a nice "throw-back" to the show to note that this story really does stem from the things we've seen in the show and in Little Moments. Ha, I think the green bean casserole my be my second favorite food too. No joke. And having Graham cry over the onion was something that just sorta popped out when I was writing, lol. I'm glad you liked it! I really liked that Graham kissed Charlotte on the forehead after he was breaking up with her as well. It was a significant moment but he couldn't not kiss her goodbye. I hope you liked how they got back together. Sawyer and Ben's story is in the works but don't look for chapter 1 to be published till Thanksgiving. I don't think I'll have much of any free time till then so just as a heads up, that's when it will likely be published.**

**Please Review!**


	10. In Sickness and in Health

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter's**

**Chapter 10: In Sickness and in Health**

**Disclaimer: Nothing. I own nothing related to OTH. My creativity and original ideas: yes!**

**A/N: Oh man, I know it's be awhile guys. Sorry 'bout that. This chapter might be considered fluffy and Charlotte heavy but I wanted to hit a few specific things before I dive into the next part of the Charlotte and Graham relationship. And both Nathan and Haley are in this. They sorta just popped up as I started writing. Hope none of you mind that, and that you like the new chapter. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

The ride from Tric to Charlotte and Sawyer's house didn't take long, and the heat in Haley's car started to get warm about the same time she pulled onto their street. Haley parked alongside the curb next to her daughter's house and sarcastically laughed when she saw Sawyer's car. "_Of course_ she's here." Haley turned off her car rolling her eyes, "Why _would_ Sawyer be at work?" She shook her head in disbelief because her niece had a bit of a habit in setting her own work schedule.

Haley had been in the studio with Peyton working on their latest project, but when they took a break, Haley wanted to come check on Charlotte. It seemed she'd come down with that late December funk. Runny noise, scratchy throat, nothing fun or festive for the upcoming holiday.

The Winter air bit at Haley's cheeks as she got out of the car and walked toward her trunk. She pulled out a covered hand-painted sign. It was Graham's birthday present Charlotte had gotten him. Charlotte was supposed to pick it up at Tric but considering she'd fallen under the weather, Haley was bringing it to her. His birthday was in a week and Haley knew that Charlotte would need it before they left for the Outer Banks.

The sign was covered now, but Haley had gotten a glance of it at Tric. It was a simple sign that made more sense with the story that was behind it, and Peyton had done a fabulous job with the design. Graham was a big sailboat person and apparently the saying had some meaning a trip he and Charlotte had taken a couple months back.

Haley walked to the front door and pushed open the door. "Charlotte?"

"Hey, Mom." Charlotte perked her head over the couch and smiled at her mother. Even with her froggy throat she was still enthusiastic. "Oh, you got it. Thank you so much!"

"Where should I put it?"

Charlotte sunk back in the pillows on the couch, "Anywhere is fine."

After Haley set the sign on the table, she took off her coat, and walked closer to her ill child, "How are you feeling?"

"Lousy." Charlotte had a blanket spread over her body and a tissue box resting on the ground next to her. "I don't think I have the immune system to work in a school." The younger brown eyed Scott sniffed and her glasses fell down the bridge of her nose. Charlotte nudged them back up and took a deep breath. "I'm just glad we're on Winter Break so I have some time to recuperate."

Haley knew the feeling. She remembered her days of teaching, and as much as she enjoyed pushing those kids to dive into literature, Tree Hill High was _the_ place to get the latest cold. "It'll get better." Haley smiled at her youngest and sat down. "Can I do something? I can make some soup."

Slowly shaking her head, Charlotte smiled, "Graham's bringing some by."

"So which one?" Sawyer walked out from the back and held up two DVDs. "_Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood_ or _Top Gun_" She was leaning more towards the military drama considering both of their boyfriends donned a service uniform. "Aunt Haley..." Sawyer froze mid step surprised that her aunt had stopped by. She looked down to her sweatpants and baggy shirt. "I..." Sawyer rose her hand toward her mouth and fake coughed, "I think I'm coming down with something." Considering she'd failed to show up to work, Sawyer was fumbling to cover herself.

Haley knew this game, "Oh, really?"

"Yeah..." Sawyer cleared her throat and tried to sound convincing. "I must have gotten it from Charlotte." Throwing in another cough and moan, Sawyer was trying her best to convince her aunt she wasn't playing hooky from work. "Did Mom not get my message? I called to tell her I wasn't coming in today."

Haley was trying not to laugh because it was so painfully obvious that Sawyer was riding Charlotte's sick coattails. "I guess she must have missed it."

Sawyer gingerly walked toward the oversized chair that she'd been laid up in and sat down, "It was weird. Like this morning I was feeling fine and then it was like Charlotte coughed all over me and I came down with what she had."

Charlotte bit her lip because she could tell that Sawyer was making up an exaggerated story, and that her mother had caught on. "Yeah, Mom." Charlotte sniffed and tried to help out Sawyer, "I think I really did give it to Sawyer. Her head was burning hot this morning."

Haley nodded, "Well that's too bad. You know we're picking out the mix for our annual compilation CD. But I think your mom and I can handle it on our own."

Sawyer sat up rather quickly and shook her head. She coughed and cleared her throat, "No, I think this is a one day thing. I...I've just got a mild case of...what Charlotte's has. I'm sure I'll be good to go tomorrow."

Laughing with a large smile, Haley nodded. She looked back to Charlotte and raised her brow, "And you're sure you don't need anything? Do you have some Theraflu or do you need some cough drops?"

"I'm good, Mom. Thanks, though." Charlotte coughed into her arm and shut her eyes, "Hopefully I'll feel better soon."

"And if you're not feeling up for our Christmas Eve party in a couple days you know you can skip out on it."

Charlotte didn't want to do that. "I think I'll be okay by then. I hope so."

Haley knew that her twenty three year old daughter was more than capable of taking care of herself but her wanting to take care of her kids was never going to go away. No matter how old they were. "Alright. Well let me at least make you some tea before I go."

Charlotte looked to her mom with a smile, "The lemon honey kind?"

"Mmm-huh. Does that sound good?"

"Sounds perfect. The honey is in the cabinet on the far left and there should be a lemon or two in the little bowl on the counter." Charlotte watched her mom head towards the kitchen and she realized that it didn't feel so bad having someone take care of her.

Before Haley made it to the kitchen she stopped and turned around, "Sawyer, would you like a cup?" It came out a bit sarcastically but it was all in good fun.

"Yes, please." Sawyer nodded, "And maybe add in some sugar or something. That can't be too bad. It might help my throat."

Charlotte started to laugh. She shook her head toward her cousin and whispered over to her, "Sugar? Are you serious? You're not playing this down much are you?"

Sawyer shrugged, "What? I'm a naturally _sweet_ human being. I can't help it my tea needs sugar."

"But it's 'feel better tea', not 'here, have a glass and sit out on the porch, tea'."

"Whatever, it won't kill me." Throwing the blanket off her legs, Sawyer hopped up out of the chair, "So what'll it be? Funny old southern ladies or sexy men in uniform?"

"Either one. They both sound good to me." Charlotte situated herself on the couch and pulled her blanket up to her chin. If she knew Sawyer like she thought she did, Top Gun's menu would pop up on the screen in a matter of seconds. It wasn't that Sawyer didn't like a good laugh, but at the moment she had a thing for guys in uniform. Naval aviators weren't exactly the same as Coasties but it was good enough. If they had _The Guardian_ they could have watched that, but both girls would have ended up in tears.

Charlotte had been right, though. _Top Gun_ it was. The movie started to play and when they were at the four minute mark the front door opened.

"Gah, it's cold outside." Graham walked through the front door and welcomed the heat inside the girls' home. He looked over to see a movie playing and realized that Charlotte must have been on the couch. "Ugh, Top Gun?" Graham smiled as he walked toward the couch, "The Navy has nothing on the Coast Guard. I can't believe you're watching this." It was more of a joke. Graham was only giving her a hard time.

He sat down next to Charlotte with a smile, and put the bag he was holding on the table.

"Hi." Charlotte wasn't exactly in world's greatest mood, but having Graham there made it better.

Graham had known before, but Charlotte Scott with her red nosed, glasses, no make-up, disheveled appearance was still the most beautiful girl he'd ever laid eyes on. "Feeling any better?"

"Not really."

Picking up the paper bag, Graham raised his brow, "This might help."

"Thank you so much for getting soup."

He nodded but didn't need her thanks, "Yeah, sure. You want me to go put it in the kitchen or do you want some now?"

"Mom's here making me some tea but I know I'll want soup later."

"Shh!" Sawyer turned to the two brunettes and furrowed her brow, "Don't you know you're not supposed to talk during a movie!"

Graham hadn't really noticed that Sawyer was bundled up over in the chair, "Are you sick too?"

Charlotte looked up to Graham and answered for her best friend, "No. She just decided to stay home."

For the six months he'd known Sawyer Scott, Graham really wasn't all that surprised. "I'm gonna go put this up." Charlotte nodded and Graham walked toward the kitchen.

Haley was squeezing some lemon into two mugs and she heard footsteps walking toward her. "Hi, Graham." She smiled when she looked over her shoulder to her daughter's boyfriend.

Smiling, Graham set down the bag on the counter. "That stuff smells great."

"Thank you. Just a simple recipe that should ease a sore throat. I used to make it when I sang a lot."

Graham nodded and started to take out the to-go soups. "My mom used to make something like that, too. I think she used Tang in hers."

"Tang? Really?" Haley let out a laugh because she didn't even know if that stuff was still around.

"Maybe it was something else. I'm not sure. I just know whatever it was, it worked for sore throats."

"Home remedies do usually do the trick." Haley glanced at Graham and then to the soup containers. One of them had scribble on the top but she was able to make it out. Chicken noodle, extra noodle. It was like a flood of memories had been spun to the forefront of her mind. Nathan used to get her the same thing. He still did. Haley looked to Graham again with a smile, "But I have to say...chicken noodle soup really does the trick."

Feeling a bit like he'd just gotten a very nice compliment, Graham grinned and nodded, "And apparently extra noodle is the way to go."

Haley laughed, "That's my doing. I always liked..."

Back in the living room Charlotte and Sawyer were comfortably watching the movie but Charlotte suddenly looked to her cousin, "Sawyer!" It came out in a rushed whisper because she didn't want Graham to hear her. "Get the sign and hide it somewhere. I don't want him to see it."

Sawyer looked toward the door and furrowed her brow, "But it's covered. You can't even tell what it is."

"Please just get it. His other present won't be ready to get for a few more weeks so it's the only birthday present I've got for him. If he sees it he'll know what he's getting."

"Okay, okay. Just because I know your body aches are real I'll do you this favor." Sawyer inwardly groaned as she got up out of the uber comfy chair. "You want me to put it in your room?"

"Take it to the hall closet. That'll be better, I think."

As Sawyer walked toward the closet Haley came out of the kitchen, and Sawyer had to remember to fake cough. Haley just laughed as she walked to the living room and she set down one of the mugs next to Sawyer's chair and other by Charlotte.

"Here you go."

"Oh, thank you." Charlotte took a hold of her mug with two hands and gently sipped the warm tea. It was like some form of liquid awesomeness and Charlotte knew that she would be feeling better soon.

"I hope you feel better, honey." Haley checked her watch and sighed, "I should get back to the office but call me later, okay?"

The younger Scott nodded, "I will. Thanks, Mom. I love you."

Haley lightly squeezed her daughter's arm as she walked away, "Love you, too."

Graham had taken a phone call in the kitchen but once he was done he'd walked back to the living room. He sat down on the coffee table in front of Charlotte and touched the back of his his hand to her forehead, "I hate that you're sick."

Charlotte let out a laugh after she took another sip of her honey and lemon tea, "You're telling me."

He rested his elbows on his thighs and shrugged, "If you're still feeling bad in a few days you don't have to worry about going up to see my family."

"No, no. I want to. I do." Charlotte set down her mug and shook her head, "This will pass by then. I've got four days to knock this cold out and I'll be fine. Really. I don't want to miss that." Not only did Charlotte want to go up to the Outer Banks to see where he'd grown up, but she wanted to meet his mom, his dad, his brother and sister, and get to know the people who helped Graham be the man he was.

She had to be one of the most selfless people he knew. He grinned out of the corner of his mouth, "I gotta head back to the base but I'll come back tonight." Graham moved his hand to the side of her head and ran his thumb over her brow.

Charlotte's eyes closed at his touch and she took a deep breath, "Thank you for the soup."

He nodded while leaning down to give her a lingering kiss on her forehead, "I love you."

Amongst her flu-like symptoms, Charlotte could also feel the butterflies. Her brown eyes locked with his green ones, "I love you, too."

He placed another simple kiss on her forehead and got up. He shoved his hands in his navy USCG jacket, "If you need something else..."

"I'll call." Charlotte nodded.

Graham smiled, "Alright, bye."

"Bye."

As Charlotte heard the door open and close she almost instantly felt better. Her throat was still sore, her nose still runny, but she knew she was going to be okay. Everything was going to be just fine. No measly cold was going to bring her down. And even if it did, Graham was going to be there ready to help her back up.

**OTHOTH**

It was Christmas Eve, three o'clock in the afternoon, and Charlotte was pulling up the driveway to her parents' house. She could feel herself smile when she saw her dad. He was in sweats and bouncing that old leather ball against the hard pavement letting that familiar sound Charlotte had grown up around linger in the air. The cold December wind stung against her exposed skin when she opened her door, and Charlotte shuddered at the temperature.

Nathan put his ball against his hip and looked toward his daughter, "Hey, Char."

"Hi, Dad." Charlotte smiled as she walked toward her father.

He waited for her to get closer before he asked his question. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. A little bit crummy, but better." She gave her father a soft nod and then looked toward her childhood home, "I guess Mom wanted you out of the house while she got everything ready?"

Nathan laughed, "You know how she gets when a lot of people come over." He bounced the ball and shot towards the goal.

Charlotte knew exactly how her mom was. Type A. If things weren't going right she would get completely frazzled.

Picking up his the ball, Nathan turned to his daughter, "But that's why you're here." Nathan nodded towards Charlotte and dribbled over to her. "You always make it better for her."

Rolling her eyes, Charlotte snatched the ball from her dad. "I think you're overestimating me." She shot and they both watched as the ball went through the net.

"Oh really?" Nathan laughed as he got the ball from under the goal.

Charlotte shook her head, "It's you Dad. You're the one Mom needs. Not me." Nathan had passed the ball to Charlotte but she bounced it right back to him with a laugh, "I'm just here to do the little things. Set up the table, fold napkins..." Nathan passed the ball back to Charlotte but she didn't shoot. "I guarantee that...four minutes before everyone starts arriving she'll go upstairs, check her make-up, her hair, and you'll be there. She'll turn to you for a smile and kind words." Charlotte nodded, "I've seen it for the last...twenty three years, and it hasn't changed." A smirk appeared on the young woman's face, "_You_ might be the one underestimating yourself, Dad."

Nathan knew that Charlotte was absolutely right. He turned to her with that same Scott smirk, "I guess so, huh?" He saw her nod, "But I'm thinking you better get inside before that cold of yours starts to flare up."

Charlotte sniffed and knew her dad had a point. "Yeah." She passed the ball back to her father and nodded. She turned to walk inside and took about four steps before Nathan called out to her.

"Hey?" Nathan waited for Charlotte to turn around, "If you happen to get in the fridge you could always swipe me a few of those little finger sandwiches."

Charlotte started to laugh, "I'll try." She headed back to the house still laughing. Both her father and brother had a certain soft spot for those little sandwiches. "Mom?"

"In here." Haley called out from the kitchen.

Making her way inside, Charlotte's eyes went wide as she walked to the kitchen, "Wow."

"I know." Haley looked around with a satisfied nod, "I got a lot done last night and this morning."

"Yes you did." Charlotte saw all the platters set out, the napkins, the plates. The only thing that really needed to be done was actually plating the food.

Haley grabbed a few bottles off the counter, "You feeling better?"

"Yeah. I'm fine. Not one hundred percent but I'm getting there." Charlotte followed her mother's lead and grabbed a few bottles to stock in the bar area.

The next tasks were pretty nominal and much of the same but everything was coming together really nicely. Charlotte took note of the decorations and would have to remember to tell Bennet he'd done a great job hanging the garland outside. Her father and brother had really done it but Haley had said Bennet helped when he could.

After taking a Swiffer to the hardwoods for a last minute clean up, Charlotte turned to her mom, "What do we do next?" Charlotte looked to her mom with raised eyebrows. "You get to grab a couple of those sandwiches while I'm _not looking_ and take them to your dad."

Charlotte started to laugh, "Right, because you've seen me take them for Dad and Jamie since I was..."

"Five."

Looking to her mother she shook her head, "And you never said anything?"

The two walked back to the kitchen and Haley laughed, "Honey, there is nothing I don't see. Especially when it involves you, or your brother, or your dad."

"And I thought we'd been getting away with it this whole time." Charlotte laughed at herself.

Haley laughed as well, "You'd be surprised what I know about you three." She opened up the fridge and pulled out the large container filled with the finger sandwiches. "Here."

Charlotte couldn't help but hesitate as she reached in to get a couple sandwiches because it still felt like she was sneaking around, even with her mom standing there. After she grabbed what her dad wanted, Charlotte quickly ran out into the cold to give her father his not so secretly stolen snack. Then she hurried to her car to grab her dress and heels. Had she been smart she would have taken them in earlier because her dress felt ice cold through the hanging bag.

The twenty something Scott ran back to the house and headed for the stairs. She looked to her mom, "Any thing else you need me to do?"

Haley shook her head and glanced to the clock. It would be just over an hour before guests started arriving. "No, go ahead and get ready."

Charlotte started walking to the stairs, "And Dad said he'd come in after he finished making his free throws."

Laughing, Haley smiled. That was just like Nathan.

As Charlotte made it up to the second floor, she walked to her room and had a bit of deja vu. Even if she was grown, it was still felt like every other Christmas Eve, but she knew it was going to be different. She'd still helped her mom out like normal, she was getting dressed at home, she'd shot a few baskets with her father, but this time someone was going to be coming that was going to make it even better. Yes, she'd had boyfriends come to the annual Christmas Eve party but not like this. Tonight she'd be a little extra excited, a little extra nervous, and those butterflies would be coming in droves. Graham had that way about him. And it was a good thing.

Charlotte took a super fast shower, dried her hair, and slipped on her black dress. The necklace she put around her neck was made out of small red and green bells, and Bennet had given it to her. It wasn't the most well made kindergarten craft but it went perfectly with her outfit. Liza was probably going to have one very similar. Red, green, and it even jingled. Fashionable, maybe not. Sweet and sentimental, yes.

She made her way downstairs when she was finished and realized that someone else was already in the kitchen. "Dad!"

Nathan turned around and coiled his hand away from the platter of food. "What? I was just...checking to make sure everything was...set up right."

"Mmm-huh, I bet." Charlotte laughed and arched her brow.

The front door opened and they heard somebody walk in. Nathan was surprised at who it was but Charlotte was the first to speak.

"What? What are you doing here so early."

"Don't act like this is a surprise." Sawyer narrowed her eyes to her cousin and walked to Nathan giving him a side hug, "You both can't honestly say that it's _that_ strange."

Neither Charlotte or Nathan said a word.

"Oh come on!" Sawyer furrowed her brow, "Whatever. I'm starving." Sawyer glanced toward all the food and she started to smile. "Why is it that my mom sucks at cooking and your mom gives all the catering companies in Tree Hill a run for their money?"

Charlotte couldn't think of a very good reason, "I don't know."

The three Scotts that were downstairs conversed for a little while and pretty soon everybody started to arrive: Jamie and his family, Skills, Junk, and Fergie, Sawyer's parents and brother...it was just a matter of time before it would seem like all of Tree Hill was there.

The multitude of cars that were lined up and down the Scott's driveway made it easy for Graham to realize he should park on the street. Walking up the driveway wouldn't be too bad. He got out of his Tahoe and took in a deep wintry breath. The last time he'd been there things hadn't ended up so well. Last time he'd been insecure and worried, but this time he knew better. This time he knew that nothing was going to get in his way with regards to Charlotte Scott. Maybe her cold, but that was only temporary.

As Graham walked up to the house he noticed an old beat up, black 4-Runner and he instantly smiled thinking of Ben. He wouldn't put it past his goofy blonde haired friend if he had dressed up as Santa. Ben was just that kind of guy. Maybe he did, maybe he didn't.

Not sure if he should knock or walk in, Graham stood at the door for a moment and widened his eyes when it opened.

"You know you seem kind of suspicious just standing by the door. Someone's gonna think you're a creep if you don't come in."

Graham laughed at Sawyer, "Maybe I should come in."

"Uh-yeah. And it's freezing outside, so unless you're one of those weirdos who likes cold weather then I would say yeah, you might wanna come in."

As Graham stepped inside he looked around, "I saw Ben's car."

"Yeah, he's around here somewhere. Talking with my dad or something."

Charlotte was walking out of the kitchen and noticed Sawyer talking with Graham. A smile started to creep across her face and she made her way over to them. "You're here."

He turned to the voice coming from his right and saw the black dress hugging her curves. Her hair was down and he was pretty sure she jingled as she walked. "Hey." Graham took a step closer to give her a kiss but had to settle for her forehead when Charlotte ducked. Apparently she was worried she was going to give him whatever sickness it was she had, even if it wasn't contagious.

"I'm gonna go find Ben..." Sawyer figured she could leave the couple alone for a minute.

Graham let out a laugh while Sawyer walked away.

"What?" Charlotte arched her brow and shook her head.

"You know, it's not gonna kill me if I kiss you."

A blush she'd inherited from her mother crept across the brunette's cheeks, "I just...I'm not...It's only..."

"I won't get sick."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes with a smile. She wasn't trying to torture him but she knew that it had been a while she they'd kissed. Really kissed.

"Graham!" Little footsteps echoed through the foyer as Bennet ran up to his aunt and her boyfriend.

"Hey, Bennet."

The little boy's eyes got wide, "Santa's coming tonight! You know what I asked for?"

"What?"

"Earplugs!" The enthusiasm in the little boy's voice was contagious.

Charlotte made a funny face and looked down to her nephew, "Earplugs? What? I thought you wanted a trampoline?"

Bennet nodded, "That too, but earplugs first because Claire cries a lot."

Graham couldn't help but smile at the newly turned six year old. "Well you know what? If Santa forgets some earplugs I can bring you some heavy duty ones we wear in the helicopter."

"You can?" Bennet got an excited look on his face.

"Yeah, sure."

"Awesome, I'm gonna go tell Dad."

Charlotte laughed as the little blue eyed boy ran off to find his father. "Well that was interesting. I've never heard of a kid wanting earplugs for Christmas."

"That's because you were the youngest." Graham shrugged, "It's a whole different story when you've got a baby brother or sister. I remember Crawford cried forever when he was little."

Charlotte grimaced. She probably kept Jamie up all the time when she was a baby. One day she'd have to remember to apologize for that.

Charlotte slipped her arms around Graham's waist and looked up to him, "But you'd do that? You'd get him those fancy earplugs?"

Graham nodded, "I think I can manage to grab a pair."

In that moment Charlotte knew that this man was incredible. The way he was with her, and the way he looked when he'd said that, the way he'd talked with Bennet. It was the smallest of things but it was everything.

"I love you." Charlotte looked up to Graham with a nod. "I do."

Graham smiled, "I love you too." He couldn't help but remember exactly what Charlotte had told him on the Diligence a few weeks ago. "Today, tomorrow, and the day after that."

Charlotte recognized his words and seemed to forget about that pesky cold she had, because she'd lifted herself on her toes and met her lips with his. It was simple and sweet and nothing overly affectionate, but it was exactly what Graham had been missing while she'd been in her 'don't kiss me, I'm sick' phase.

He laughed when they parted, "I missed that."

Charlotte pulled him close and nodded, "Me, too. Sorry I got sick." She kissed him again before she laughed, "I guess I was pretty dumb, huh? To think it was better to stay away from this." Charlotte was staring at his lips big time.

Shaking his head, Graham looked down to her with a smile, "Charlotte Scott, dumb? I'd like to see the day."

She playfully rolled her eyes and grabbed onto his arm, "Come on."

Charlotte pulled Graham towards the living room and both of them new that this was going to be something that would happen in years to come. Obviously Christmas Eve, but it was more than just that. It was they way they interacted and they way things were going. It was so painfully obvious that both Charlotte and Graham were on a track leading to forever. Where that train stopped along the way was yet to be determined but somehow it wouldn't matter.

One thing was for sure though. Next on their list destinations: Kill Devils Hill, North Carolina. It was time for Charlotte to meet Graham's family.

**OTHOTH**

Three days later it was December 27th and Charlotte was feeling great. Her throat was fine, her runny nose had stopped running and the only thing left over from her late December funk had been a random cough every now and then. And it was one of those random coughs that let the curly headed Scott girl know the brunette was awake.

Sawyer was equipped with her coffee mug dressed in her new utility boots she'd gotten for Christmas. No, she had no intention on going outside, she wasn't even leaving the house, she was just like any other child was after they'd gotten exactly what they wanted for Christmas. The lanky blonde clomped down the hall to Charlotte's room and leaned on the door frame.

"These boots are the shit."

Charlotte had her back to her cousin while she double checked the contents of her suitcase, but heard that familiar Sawyer laugh. Turning around, Charlotte saw her best friend sporting boyshort pajama shorts and a long sleeve shirt coupled with those new boots of hers.

Lifting her one of her legs, Sawyer gave it a wiggle, "I mean seriously. Tell me these things aren't bad ass."

Smiling because Sawyer looked so ridiculous in her pajamas and boots, Charlotte couldn't help but smile, "Yes. They're definitely...fashion forward."

Sawyer furrowed her brow, "No, they're not." She shook her head and stepped further into Charlotte's room, "But...when the Tric parking lot is swimming in a sea of sludge and gravel...then they'll kick major ass." Sawyer took a long sip of her coffee while she nodded. She glanced toward the suitcase and raised her brow, "So? Are you getting nervous?"

Pressing down the folded clothes, Charlotte zipped her suitcase shut and knew she could only be honest. "Yeah."

"Really?" Sawyer kinked her eyebrow and she sat down on Charlotte's bed. "I thought you'd be ready to go up there."

"No, yeah I am. I just... It's his whole family. Mom, dad, brother, sister, niece, nephew..." Charlotte let out a deep breath, "I don't know. I don't think anybody could not be nervous."

Maybe Charlotte had a point, but Sawyer was pretty sure when she met Ben's dad that she could handle herself. Sawyer took a quick glance at the clock on the bedside table, "So when is he coming to get you?"

"Soon. It takes almost five hours to get up there."

Sawyer's eyes went big, "Five hours! Damn. Ben would drive me crazy if we were in the car that long together."

Charlotte laughed. Obviously Sawyer hadn't really thought about the day Ben would take her to Memphis. That would be a thirteen hour drive.

"What are you smiling about?" Sawyer turned to Charlotte curious about why she seemed so lighthearted about a five hour drive.

"Nothing. It's nothing." Charlotte kept her thoughts to herself and saved them for another day.

Looking out the window, Sawyer peeled her eyes, "Is that him?" She watched as a white SUV drove toward their house but it never stopped. "Guess not." Sawyer started to get off the bed and took another long sip of her coffee, "Well I'm going to wait out in the living room where there is a TV so..."

"Ha." Charlotte laughed, "Yeah, I'll be out in a second."

Charlotte watched her cousin leave her room and she walked toward her drawers. She opened up the top drawer and grabbed Graham's birthday card. She'd never been the best card picker-outer, but she smiled when she saw the picture on the front. It was an adorable puppy. One whose face was all pinched together and wrinkly. The words on the inside made her laugh. Sawyer had been out shopping with her and she was the one who'd been adamant about getting this particular card. It was symbolically important for Charlotte, but it was plain funny to Sawyer. _I know what you're thinking. My wrinkles look better than yours, but at least you don't have hair on your butt. Happy birthday, you lucky dog._ Charlotte pulled out a pen and opened up the card. She still needed to sign it ._I love you. Today, tomorrow, and the day after that. -Charlotte._

Her penmanship looked nice and when she was finished Charlotte slipped the card into the envelope. She tucked it inside her purse and then reached for her suitcase. With her purse, her suitcase, and Graham's birthday present, Charlotte hit the lights and left her bedroom.

As she walked toward the living room she heard the front door open and there he was. Right on time.

"Hey." Graham quickly closed the front door and smiled at Charlotte as he walked to her, "Let me get some of that." He reached for her suitcase and leaned down to kiss her kiss.

That blush of Charlotte's started to creep across her face paired with a smile, "Morning."

"Morning." His green eyes locked with her brown ones and then he looked down to her bags, "Is this it?"

"Yeah, I'm just gonna get my coat."

Graham watched her walk toward the hall closet and he turned to see Sawyer splayed out on the couch. He laughed at her outfit and pointed, "Nice boots."

For a second Sawyer thought he'd said, 'Nice boobs', but obviously she misheard him when she noticed that Graham's eyes were looking at her footwear, not her chest. "Yeah, they're pretty awesome."

Laughing, Graham nodded, "So I take it you're feeling better?"

"Oh yeah. That was purely situational sickness. You know? I mean go to work, or fake a cough and watch movies all day? Not a hard decision." Sawyer shook her head with a laugh. "What about you? Charlotte hasn't given you what she had, did she? I _saw_ you two at the Christmas Eve party." Sawyer started to smirk because Charlotte and Graham had seemingly broken Charlotte's rule about kissing while sick.

"No, I'm fine."

"Mmm-huh. I'm sure you are." Sawyer started to smile and Charlotte walked back from getting her coat.

"I'm good, are you ready."

Normally Graham was the one who asked that, but he nodded his head, "Yeah. We should probably hit the road if we want to get there by lunch."

"Well you two have fun...at the beach...in the winter."

Charlotte just rolled her eyes as they headed for the door. Sawyer was probably just jealous.

"We will." Graham knew that Sawyer had said it as more of a negative thing, but there was nothing about the beach in the winter that he loved more. There was something incredibly peaceful about the water and the temperature colliding on a cold Winter day.

"Bye Saw, I'll call you later."

"Yeah, call me later. I'll want the dish on the in-laws." Sawyer flopped down on the couch and waved goodbye to Graham.

Charlotte got a little red in the face by Sawyer's choice of words. In-laws, the McFarlands were not. She took a deep breath and watch Graham pick up her suitcase. Charlotte had her purse and his birthday present in her hands and they were ready to go. They were about to set sail on an adventure across the blacktop of rural North Carolina, and everything was going to be just fine.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte tossed her magazine down on the floorboard and gazed outside. She'd never really noticed it before, but North Carolina had a lot more farm country that she ever realized. Corn, tobacco, you name it, it was on the side of the rode.

"It'll be about an hour." Graham glanced over at his girlfriend and smiled, "We'll start seeing a bunch of ferry signs soon."

"Do we get to do that? Go on a ferry?"

He shook his head, "No. We take sixty four all the way up there."

Charlotte inwardly frowned, "Oh."

Graham caught on to her tone of voice, "You sound a little disappointed."

Shaking her head, Charlotte shrugged, "No, I just thought it might be kind of fun."

"Maybe one day we're there we can go down to Hatteras and ride the ferry to Ocracoke?"

"Ocra-what?"

Graham laughed, "Ocra-coke. Like the vegetable and drink." He smiled at her poor knowledge of the Outer Banks. "It's a little island just south of Hatteras. It's a great spot for tourist and there are some really good restaurants down there."

"That might be fun. Does the ferry run during the winter?"

"Yeah, it's the only way the locals can get to the mainland."

It all sounded like some novel setting. The isolation and separation, in someways it seemed romantic. Like two people could find themselves stuck in one place at one time. Charlotte had this image of an older man sitting by the ferry docks, waiting for the gray clouds to part, and hearing that fog horn blow. Hoping, wishing, knowing that that his longtime love was sailing back to him. But that was just an illusion. A novel her uncle might one day write.

Charlotte has been in a daydream thinking about the coarse Atlantic beaches when she decided to let in a little bit of fresh air.

"Wh...Charlotte, don't! Roll it up, roll it up!"

Charlotte quickly rolled up the window unaware of what she did wrong. Charlotte looked at Graham petrified, "Wh...what?"

Pointing his finger, Graham shook his head, "You see all those aluminum looking buildings?" The smell started to float through the car and Graham pulled his shirt up to cover his nose. "They're chicken coops. Thousands of them."

Charlotte's nostrils felt like they were on fire. She'd never smelled something that vile in her entire life. It was almost gag worthy. "Ugh, gah. That's nasty. Ugh."

"I know. It's the only thing I don't miss about home." He laughed and tried to blow away any of the smell away from his immediate airways.

"I'm sorry. If I'd known I would have never opened the window."

"It was my fault." Graham shook his head, "I should have warned you."

At this point, Charlotte was clamping her nose so hard that she was sure she was going to get bruise. It didn't seem to help though, Charlotte was pretty sure she could even taste it. "When does it go away."

"In a little while."

"How long is that?"

Graham started to laugh. He'd looked at Charlotte and it had to be one of his favorite looks. Furrowed brow, covered nose, her shirt was pulled up, and she even had raised her arm to shield the smell. That image was worth,or almost worth the horrible chicken coop smell.

"What? What did I do? Stop looking at me like I did this on purpose."

"I'm not." He laughed and shook his head, "I know you didn't do it on _purpose_." Graham laughed as he tugged the collar of his shirt further up his face.

Charlotte felt like a complete idiot for rolling down her window when she did. If she'd only waited a half a mile then they smell like an unkempt farm. A really, really, really dirty one.

"You hate me right now, I know it."

Graham shook his head, "No. But we'll be there in less than an hour and if that chicken smell is lingering on your clothes I kinds think my parents might."

"Oh my God." Charlotte looked down at her shirt and tried to think what she would do if she still reeked of chicken poo when they got to his parents' house. "Great. This is just great."

Seeing that Charlotte was getting pretty flustered, Graham arched his brow with a sarcastic smile, "I was kidding. It'll be fine. You'll smell fine, and my parents will love you." Graham was pretty sure it was safe to lower his shirt so he did. "I promise."

Charlotte still had her hands and everything she could covering her nose.

"They will." Graham reached his hand over the center console and waited for Charlotte to put her hand in his. She did and he looked to her with a nod. "Crawford loves the Bobcats so you're already good in his book. My mom's heard how important family is to you and that's her biggest thing. Dad's pretty quiet, but get him talking about the Banks or the legends behind the islands and you'll be his favorite person in the world. You and Lane are a lot alike and I think you two will get along great. Then Caroline and Harrison are the two little ones. I know how you are with Bennet and Claire so I have no doubt they'll attach themselves to your hip."

Hearing Graham talk about his family, Charlotte didn't know if it made her more nervous or relieved. It was probably a little bit of both. But no matter the case, as long as he was by her side, Charlotte was pretty sure this meet and greet was gonna be better than expected. It was going to have to. Charlotte loved Graham and that wasn't going to change. These people could end up being staples in her life.

They passed a sign that said it was only 28 miles away, and Charlotte knew it would only be about half an hour till they got to Kill Devil Hills. They were going to be there before she knew it.

**OTHOTH**

**Ah, I know. Why'd you stop there? Cause the first part ended up being way long. There was no way I could write a chapter including what happens in the OBX without boring you to death with the length. It was already eight thousand words. But there are things we've learned in this chapter that might be worth remembering for next chapter.**

**Graham's birthday is coming up. What did Charlotte get him? Any guesses what that sign Peyton made is about or what Graham's other present might be?**

**Charlotte was sick. Is that going to rear it's ugly head and leave Graham sick too?**

**From the little description we got, which of Graham's family members do you think Charlotte will get along the best with?**

**Teasers for next chapter cause I know you all are probably mad I couldn't include meeting the McFarlands in here: Charlotte is convinced Crawford will hate her because something that Graham does. Graham's knowledge of the beaches puts him in a situation where he shows off his public service skills. Story time. Graham's gonna get a chance to tell Charlotte a story. Something he hasn't gotten to do recently. There's more but I'll let some of it be a surprise.**

**My reviewers are incredible and I cannot thank you enough for your continued support. I generously thank each of you, and I hope you've enjoyed the story so far.**

**Blurrystars: Yeah, it's kind of a toss up when it comes to favorite couples. Charlotte and Graham vs. Jamie and Liza. Most of the time my favorite changes. I'm glad you're glad that they got back together last chapter. And in regards to Graham having a moment...he may have. He could have had some sort of realization of the obvious but I think he knew all along that he'd made a mistake. But he'll have a more clear moment that will be touched on about Charlotte in the future. What will that moment lead up to? I'll keep quiet on that front. That foreshadowing was the obvious kicker that will and should have most people worried. Don't start freaking out yet though. It won't happen for a while.**

**MagicalNaley23: I fully understand that you weren't exactly a fan of Graham last chapter. He was putting Charlotte in a horrible place because he couldn't really seem to fight his own insecurities. Yes, last chapter gave a clue as to what's a head for Jamie and Liza in their story but there is still much more of that scenario still left to be told. I know you mentioned that you wanted Claire in the new chapter but I wasn't able to fit her in. Maybe you liked that Bennet was in there? Graham's niece and nephew will be included next chapter so that might be along the lines of what you're wanting to see.**

**Review Please!**


	11. You Can Bank on It

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 11: You Can Bank on It**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to OTH but I take credit for my creativity and story.**

**A/N: Here you go guys, it's a long one. This picks up where last chapter left off. Charlotte's meeting the McFarlands and her trip to the OBX is bound to be memorable. Just a reminder. It's December 27th in the story so they are visiting for the holidays but I'm emphasizing the fact that they are celebrating Graham's birthday while they are there too. I hope you guys like it! Oh, and every single one of their future kids' names are mentioned (in some shape, form, or fashion- first or middle name) in this chapter. Put your thinking caps on and maybe you can figure them out.**

**OTHOTH**

The Tahoe dipped a little as Graham pulled into the driveway and Charlotte could feel her nerves turn into a calamity of knots. It was easy to say she was nervous. She didn't need to be but she couldn't help it. Graham was important to her; more than important. Meeting his family was up there on the list of things she didn't want to screw up. But the McFarlands were good people. They were kind and simple, endearing and welcoming. Charlotte just needed to realize it.

Nervously biting her lip, Charlotte turned to Graham with a laugh, "I don't smell like chicken, do I?"

Graham leaned toward her and shook his head, "Nope." His green eyes met her chocolate brown ones and he leaned even closer. He kissed her and as their lips met with that instant spark, Charlotte knew that things were going to be okay. They looked at each other with staring eyes and a comfortable silence.

Out of the corner of his eye, Graham saw a little bit of movement. Somebody was outside. He looked back to Charlotte, "Ready?"

Charlotte opened up her door and nodded, "Yeah."

Graham got out of the car and smiled at his father who was walking around from the side of the house. "Hey, Dad."

While Mr. McFarland and his son talked back and fourth, Charlotte took a deep breath. She'd had her feet on solid ground all of five seconds and the meet and greets were starting now. Catching Graham's eye, she walked around the hood of the car and he slipped his hand around hers.

Charlotte caught sight of the older man's brown worn out jacket, the red plaid he had on under that and his washed out faded blue jeans. Almost exactly how she would imagine a carpenter.

Watching the two approach, Mr. McFarland couldn't help but noticed how the they were hand in hand.

"Dad, this is Charlotte. Charlotte, this is my dad."

"I'd normally shake your hand but..." Graham's father looked down to his armful of fire wood and shrugged, "I've got my hands fu..."

"Here." Graham shook his head and offered to take the logs, "I'll get 'em." The son took the fire wood and tilted his head toward the front door. "These going by the door or inside?"

"Inside." Mr. McFarland nodded and then turned to Charlotte with an extended hand, "It's nice to meet you, Charlotte. Call me Mitch."

Taken back by his incredible sincerity and those green eyes, Charlotte smiled and shook his hand. "Nice to meet you as well, sir." Her fingertips felt the rough skin and cracks in the man's hand but she knew it must have had to do with carpentry. Something about the calluses, the dryness, and the fact that those hands had been working hard for fifty plus years was captivating.

Graham was first inside the front door and he walked straight into the living room, "Mom?"

Mrs. McFarland had been on the phone with one of her neighbors when she heard her oldest son's voice. "I gotta go, Janet. Graham's home." Hanging up the phone faster than she'd ever done, Anne walked out of the kitchen and toward the living room.

"Hi, Mom."

Opening her arms, Mrs. McFarland wrapped her son in a warm embrace. "Merry Christmas, honey."

"Merry Christmas." Graham hugged his mom and turned to the two people who had walked in behind him. He was about to introduce Charlotte but his mom was one step ahead of him.

"Charlotte, it's so nice to meet you." Mrs. McFarland walked toward the girl with a smile, "I'm Anne."

Charlotte hadn't exactly been expecting a hug but that's what she got. "It's nice to meet you, too. Thank you for having me."

Nodding, Anne smiled, "We're glad you could come." Looking to her husband and son, she shrugged, "Anybody want something to drink?" Mrs. McFarland took everyone's drink orders and headed back to the kitchen.

"So how was the drive up here, Graham?"

"It went well. We uh..." He laughed and looked over to Charlotte and then back to his father, "...we had a little issue with that chicken smell."

Charlotte's cheeks turned red, "I didn't realize that cracking my window was the worst possible thing I could have done."

Chuckling, Mr. McFarland nodded, "Yeah, it'll get you every time."

"Mitchell? Will you help me in here?" Mrs. McFarland needed an extra hand with the four glasses.

Graham looked at Charlotte as his father got up and smiled. Things were going well. Yes, it had only been ten minutes but those first ten minutes had gone well.

"So Charlotte? Graham tells us you work at the high school in Tree Hill?" Anne walked toward the girl and handed her a drink as she sat down.

"Mmm-huh" Charlotte took a sip and nodded, "I'm the counselor and I also get to teach a sociology elective."

"The students love her." Graham couldn't help but chime in. He looked to his girlfriend and that familiar pink blush started to spread across her cheeks.

"I don't know about that." Looking at Graham, Charlotte smiled with a shake of her head.

The four adults got to talking and conversation was exchanged. The McFarlands had asked about Tree Hill, her family, and various other things. It was easy for them to get along. Charlotte couldn't help but think of Anne as an older version of her own mother. Mrs. McFarland's light hair and eyes were different than Haley's but they seemed to have similar ways about them.

Anne heard the rumble of an engine from outside and smiled looking at her oldest, "I guess your brother's here." Mrs. McFarland laughed and shook her head, "We can normally hear him coming a few streets away."

Mitch nodded, "But he swears that it's the best way to get around town."

The front door opened and Charlotte got herself ready for another meet and greet. This time it was going to be Graham's younger brother, Crawford. He was twenty two, worked as beach patrolman, and from the pictures Charlotte had seen, he was going to have lighter hair than Graham and hazel colored eyes.

Graham stood up as Crawford walked into the living room and smiled at his brother, "Heard you from a mile away." He laughed and shook Crawford's hand.

"Yeah, you know me. If I'm coming around I want you to know." The youngest McFarland son nodded and glanced toward the couch. Graham had said Charlotte was pretty but the girl sitting on the couch was more than pretty. "Scott, huh?" He shook his head in amazement as he walked to the couch. One of the all time leading scorers for the Bobcat's daughter was sitting on his parents' couch.

Charlotte had gotten up and nodded when Crawford looked at her.

He shook his head letting her know she didn't need to stand and they both sat down. "The Bobcats are hands down my favorite team in the league. Hands down."

"Crawford, at least introduce yourself before you pummel the poor girl with basketball statistics." Mitch looked at his son with a laugh.

"Uh, sorry." Graham's younger brother extended his hand and let out a laugh, "I'm Crawford."

"Nice to meet you, Crawford. I'm Charlotte." Charlotte smiled and shook his hand, "Big Bobcats fan?"

"Yeah." He nodded and was in the middle of having a fan-boy moment. Charlotte. Scott. It was unreal. In Crawford's mind he was practically meeting a celebrity.

Graham laughed out loud, "Ha, that's an understatement."

Crawford cut his eyes to his brother and then back to the daughter of one of the most decorated players in Bobcats' history. "I uh, I saw your dad play when I was younger. He was...amazing."

It never got old to hear people rave about her father. He hadn't played in fifteen years but people still regarded him as a great player. "I'll have to tell him you said that."

When Charlotte said that, Crawford realized that it wasn't some joke, it wasn't bologna. She really was Nathan Scott's daughter.

"You know, we actually went to his final game, didn't we?" Mitchell looked at his sons wondering if he had remembered right.

"Yeah, we did." Graham nodded.

Charlotte turned to Graham with a smile. "You did?"

Graham nodded, "Yeah. It was the..."

"Pacers. They played Indiana." Crawford wasn't going to forget that day.

"And you cried like a baby all the way home." Graham looked at his brother with a little bit of a laugh.

Crawford cut his eyes, "Give me a break. I was seven. My idol was done playing. How was I supposed to react?"

Anne knew that her boys could get in petty little verbal arguments so she dismissed their conversation and turned to the brown eyed girl. "I bet you were there, Charlotte. How funny. You and Graham in the same place at the same time years ago."

She'd never thought of that. It really was something. Of all the 19,568 people who'd been in attendance, a boy who would come along, steal her heart, and take her breath away fifteen years later had been there too. Life had a funny way of working out.

"Well I don't think he would have noticed me with my braces and four foot stature."

He would have. Graham was sure that he would have noticed her. Charlotte was probably the only person in the world who made braces look good. And, he liked the fact that she was short.

Crawford started talking about something but both Graham and Charlotte were too busy looking at each other to listen to what he was saying. What a coincidence. Same place, same time. They could have brushed shoulders and not even realized it. And maybe they never saw each other, they probably didn't, but the the idea that they could have was romantic. At least Charlotte thought so.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte had her back to the bedroom door and she was unpacking a few of her clothes. She'd already taken out Graham's birthday present and rested it on the bed along with the card. While she pulled out her clothes she found herself looking around the walls and bookshelves. She was set up in Lane's old room and it wouldn't be long until she met the girl whose old room she was inhabiting. Dinner was quickly approaching and that meant Graham's sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew, presents, and good food would follow.

As she took her toiletries to the bathroom, Charlotte came back into the bedroom and couldn't help but look at the various things scattered along the bookshelves. It had more or less been changed into a guest room but there were still things that must have been stayed put from Lane's high school days.

A copy of _Pygmalion_ caught Charlotte's eye and she picked up the play. Opening up the pages she saw handwritten notes in the margins and figured they must have been Lane's. _Thunderstorms in literature symbolize change and conflict._ The margin on the other side continued with her notes: _Freddy and Eliza share the same taxi. Important? _Charlotte turned the page and laughed when she read the next note. It wasn't in the same handwriting as the other notes but she still read it. _ I saw you two at the beach. He likes you. I'll ask him today in Spanish._ It had been a while since Charlotte had read _Pygmalion_ but she was sure that Spanish class was not an underlying theme. She shut the book because she didn't want to snoop, but she couldn't help but wonder how that had gone. Did the boy in Spanish class like the girl? Was that what the note was talking about? Where did Lane and her husband meet? They didn't go to high school together, did they? Maybe they had? Maybe Phillip was the boy in Spanish class and maybe Lane was the girl?

"Is there a book you haven't read?" Graham was leaning against the door frame with a smile on his face.

She turned around and nodded with a smirk, "Yes. I haven't read..." Charlotte picked up a book and held it out. "This one. _The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty_."

"What?" Graham shook his head and started walking toward her, "You're missing out. Sebastian Barry is probably one of the best storytellers to come out of Ireland." He took the book in his hands and nodded, "They say that, you know. That the Irish are good storytellers."

Charlotte nodded and gazed up to Graham thinking about Poseidon's exercise routine, sand dollars, the North Star and other fables he'd made up, "I'd imagine so." She gazed toward Graham and caught his smile. Charlotte loved his stories, and it just so happened he was part Irish.

Graham took a step closer to her and put the book down. He leaned toward her and placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "I'm glad you're here."

"Me too." Charlotte took a deep calming breath and nodded.

Scratching his head, Graham laughed as he rolled his eyes, "And sorry about Crawford. He gets really into the whole basketball thing."

"It was fine. I thought it was kind of cute."

Graham let out a laugh as he raised his brow.

"Not cute, cute...just sweet. Like he obviously loves the game." Charlotte laughed as she thought about Graham getting a little jealous of his own brother. Crawford was cute, funny, tall, light brown headed, and handsome but he had nothing on Graham.

"I like the game."

"I know you do." She nodded and started to smile. Charlotte knew Graham liked the game but he didn't love the game. And that was more than fine. Graham didn't need to love a game. He loved her.

Looking down at his watch, Graham raised his eyes, "Lane will be here in a little while."

"Yeah, I wanted to go down and help your mom out in the kitchen." Charlotte headed over to the bed and picked up the card and wrapped sign.

Graham watched her and tried figure out what it was she'd gotten him. Ben had known about one of them because apparently Sawyer's mom had helped. That could have meant just about anything though.

"You can't see through this paper, you know." Charlotte turned to Graham and shook her head.

"I wasn't trying to..."

"Right." Charlotte laughed and walked down the stairs. She put the present and card in the living room and walked in the kitchen. "Do you need any help in here, Anne?"

Mrs. McFarland was checking on the pot of green beans and nodded, "Sure. Would you mind getting the bread ready?"

"Not at all." Charlotte moved to the counter and started to unwrap the bread. She sliced and buttered as Anne had suggested, and when Charlotte was nearly done the front door opened. Multiple sets of footsteps made Charlotte get that nervous feeling again.

"Smells good in here." A thirty something man with dark brown hair, a trimmed beard and glasses walked into the kitchen with a casserole dish.

"Hi, Phillip. You can just put that over on the table."

After he set down the dish, the man turned to the girl slicing bread. "I'm Lane's husband, Phillip. You're Graham's girlfriend?"

Nodding, Charlotte put the sliced bread and smiled, "I'm Charlotte..."

"Mom, do you have a band-aid close?"

A woman walked into the kitchen with a small child in her arms. Charlotte couldn't help but see that the little boy's face was streaked with tears and his cheeks were rosy red.

Turning to her daughter, Mrs. McFarland saw her two year old grandson's watery eyes. "What happened?"

"He fell coming up the porch steps." Lane looked at her son and gently touched Harrison's knee.

"Um, Charlotte? Will you look in that drawer right over there? There should be a little red first aid kit." Graham's mother looked at Charlotte hoping she could find what they needed.

Charlotte instantly nodded and looked through the drawer. She found what they needed and pulled out a band aid. "Here you go." She handed it to Lane with a smile.

"Thank you." The young mom smiled back with a laugh, "I'm Lane, by the way." She peeled the wrapper off the band aid and started to apply the tan colored strip, "And this little guys is Hurt Myself All The Time, Harrison."

Charlotte smiled at the little boy and his nickname. "Hi Harrison, I'm Charlotte."

"Boo-boo."

"You got a boo-boo?" Charlotte furrowed her brow, "Looks like your mom's doing a good job fixing it though."

The little boy nodded and Lane lifted him off the counter. "Better, bud?"

Running faster than any two year old should, Harrison was quick to sprint off towards the living room. Anne started to laugh and nudged Lane in the shoulder, "I think he's just fine, Lane."

"I guess so." Lane shook her head and turned to the girl to her left. "Sorry we had a little impromptu ER moment. He just runs and falls, runs some more and trips over everything." Lane shrugged and nodded toward her brother's girlfriend, "But it's very nice to finally meet you, Charlotte." Lane saw the casserole dish on the counter and put it in the fridge, "You probably met Phillip, and I've got a little girl, Caroline, around here somewhere."

Graham walked into the kitchen with a wide grin on his face. "Wow, Harrison's gotten fast. I think he can outrun me." He walked toward Lane and gave her a hug.

"I know, and before we know it he'll be as tall as you, too."

Eying his sister, Graham folded his arms, "Did you bring it?"

"Ugh, I forgot!" Lane playfully shook her head just to mess with him.

"Oh, Lane come on. You did not!" Graham furrowed his brow.

"No, I didn't. It's in the fridge." Lane watched Graham scurry toward the appliance and gaze at the ceramic dish. Lane leaned toward Charlotte laughing, "Dump cake. It's his favorite." She looked at her brother and shook her head, "Don't mess with it, Graham. I still have to put it in the over after dinner."

Graham raised the dish toward his nose and slowly breathed in, "Mmm, now this is the best present I could get."

Anne laughed and turned toward the three young adults, "And speaking of. Why don't we go ahead and let Graham open up his birthday presents before dinner? I bet the kids will like helping him tear the paper."

Everyone who had been in the kitchen made their way into the living room. Charlotte saw a little girl with dirty blonde hair and glasses showing Mr. McFarland something in her hand.

"Caroline, come here. We're gonna help Uncle Graham open presents." Lane sat down on the couch and the four year old walked close to her mother. "Can you say hello to Charlotte?"

"Hi."

Charlotte smiled at the child, "I like your glasses. I have glasses too."

Scrunching her nose,Caroline furrowed her brow, "You do?"

"I wear contacts most of the time. My glasses are upstairs in their case."

"My case has my name on it. Car-o-line Lau-rel Kline" The young girl made sure to pronounce it slow and steady.

"That's a very pretty name." Charlotte nodded and felt Caroline sit between herself and Lane.

Crawford picked up a present, "Graham, catch."

"Don't throw presents around, Crawford!" Anne shook her head towards her youngest.

He shrugged and looked at his sister jokingly, "It's from Lane. It can't be worth that much."

Charlotte had a good feeling that this family got along just fine with each other. They could kid, and joke, and poke fun at each other. It was a lot like how she and Jamie were around each other.

"You want to open it for me, Caroline?" Graham looked toward his niece and held out the package.

"Don't throw it, Graham." Lane shook her head because she was sure she wasn't going to be able to catch it.

"I'm not." He looked at Lane and then back to the little girl. "Come here. Help me out. I can't get it by myself."

"Okay. If you say so." She sounded so mature when she said that and Lane laughed as she pointed to her husband.

"She picked that up from him."

Phillip shrugged and bounced their son on his leg.

Graham read the little tag on the box out loud, "To Graham, from Lane, Phillip, Caroline and Harrison." He knelt down to his niece and whispered, "Do you know what it is?"

Caroline shook her head as she looked up and pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose with the palm of her hand.

"Me!" Harrison wiggled away from his father and ran toward his uncle and sister, "Me do!"

"You can can help." Graham watched as the two children opened his present and he waited to see what was underneath the paper.

"It's a... It's a..." Caroline was so excited that she felt like she was the one getting the gift. "It's a..." The little girl looked at the box and then at her uncle, "What is it?"

All the adults laughed at Caroline's sudden question. Graham smiled, "It's a duffel bag." He pulled out the large, navy, canvas bag and held it out. "This is great. I can take it on the Diligence when I do patrols."

"That's what I thought, too", Lane nodded. "And there's something inside." Reaching inside the bag, Graham pulled out a gift card. Lane started to laugh, "I figured you could get yourself some undershirts, and whatever you might need to help fill that thing up."

"Thank you so much." Graham looked over his bag and realized that Lane really did do a good job. On the bottom corner her saw, in white block letters, his initials. Bonus points. He nodded and turned to Caroline with a smile, "I know what I can put in there to fill it up!"

"Not me!" Caroline shrieked and ran over to her grandfather. She flung her arms around him and buried her head against his chest.

Harrison didn't seem to see what the problem was. He looked up to his uncle with a silly grin and his arms outstretched, "Me?"

Charlotte could watch Graham with his niece and nephew all day. He was so good with them. It wasn't that surprising. He was incredible around Bennet too.

Crawford picked up another present and Charlotte felt the butterflies kick in. Hopefully he would like the sign and hopefully he wouldn't be allergic. Graham walked toward his brother so the younger McFarland wouldn't throw it this time. Glancing at the name tag, Graham smiled and looked at his girlfriend, "It's from you?"

Charlotte nodded, "Open the present first, then the card."

"Alright." Graham slipped his finger through the paper and his thumb brushed against the cool wooden texture. He had no idea what it might be, but when he pulled all the paper off he couldn't help but laugh. It was a wooden sign that had been painted various shades of blue with a particular slogan. _Don't let the boom hit you on the way out. _Graham started to laugh and shook his head, "I know where this is going."

"What is it?" Anne couldn't tell what her son had just opened.

"It'll be Banyan's new slogan. I think it'll fit right above the door inside the cabin."

Charlotte nodded, "I was hoping it might." She had a playful grin on her face because of the memories she had with that particular boom on that particular boat.

"Thank you." Graham looked at Charlotte from across the room and flashed her a smile that melted her heart.

Reaching for the card, Graham opened it and was a little surprised at what was tucked between the sleeves. Maybe the outside should have given him a clue? It showed a wrinkly looking puppy and the inside had a funny little something about getting older. But what was so surprising was the picture that was with the card. It was a picture of a fluffy golden puppy, a real one.

"They said you can go pick one out in seven weeks."

Graham looked to Charlotte curiously. Was she serious? It didn't matter because his suspicions vanished as his realization began to set in. The tiny little fur ball with a shiny copper coat gave him an answer. "We're getting a dog!"

The way Graham had said _we're _made Charlotte swoon. "As long as you're not allergic, I didn't think about that." She let out an embarrassed laugh.

"No. I'm not." He laughed and shook his head, "How did I not find out about this."

Charlotte shrugged, "Because I told Ben that if he told you I'd get Sawyer to break up with him." She laughed at herself and got up, "And it's a golden retriever. You'll get to pick whichever one you want."

"Whatdya get, Uncle Graham?" Caroline walked toward her uncle and tried to get a glimpse of the picture he was holding.

Graham knelt down again and pointed, "I'm getting a puppy."

"A puppy!" Caroline's eyes went wide behind her glasses as she smiled.

The kitchen timer went off and Anne stood up from her chair, "Dinner's ready. We can open the rest of them afterwords."

As everybody started to get up and head to the kitchen, Charlotte only walked closer to the green eyed Coastie.

"Happy birthday." Charlotte smiled and kissed Graham on the cheek. His birthday wasn't for another week but they were celebrating now. And if they were celebrating now, Graham didn't only want a kiss on the cheek.

He reached for Charlotte's sides and pulled her closer to him. "I love the sign, and I can't believe you got us a puppy."

The Scott smirk started to slip across her sweet lips, "So I did alright?"

"You did great." He nodded and leaned toward her. She met him with a kiss and rested her cheek against the side of his chin. "I love you."

Graham moved his mouth toward her forehead and kissed her just above her brow, "I love you, too."

At that moment it had just been the two of them. Charlotte and Graham in the living room standing by the lit fire and Christmas Tree. Technically it wasn't a special occasion. It had been two days since Christmas and even more until Graham's birthday but those were just unimportant details. What mattered now was them.

The dim light from the orange glow reflected golden specks in Charlotte's brown eyes and Graham had wrapped his hands around the small of her back. He took a deep breath and could smell the food wafting through his parents' home. "We should probably go eat."

That was the problem with probably. It wasn't concrete. If they could have stayed arm in arm the rest of the night they would. Even after Graham had said it, neither of them moved.

Little feet came back into the living room and Caroline tugged on Graham's pant leg. "Come sit by me." Graham looked down at the little girl and nodded.

Caroline hurried back toward the kitchen and Charlotte and Graham followed. He leaned down toward her ear, "Sit by me?"

She looked up to him and playfully rolled her eyes. Graham had Charlotte hook, line, and sinker.

**OTHOTH**

During dinner Charlotte had gained a wealth of knowledge about Graham's family.

Lane owned and managed one of the local florist shops, her husband was a dentist, and Caroline could tie her own shoes. Harrison's favorite thing in the world was his uncle's motorcycle. Between eating green beans and his roll, Harrison had pursed his lips together to let everyone know how it sounded. Turned out Phillip hadn't been the boy in Spanish class Lane was crushed out on in high school. They'd met after college on an airplane. Seat 1F and 2F. Baltimore, Maryland to Norfolk, Virginia.

Crawford was a little less ambitious compared to is older brother and sister but he was doing what he loved. Roaming the sand on an ATV making sure the beaches were safe, that the tourists were safe was something he'd loved to do since he was in high school. He wasn't a life guard but a member of the Outer Banks Beach Patrol. Apparently there was a big difference.

Graham's parents had met after college through mutual friends. Charlotte had come to realize that back in the day Graham's mom was quite the character; the girl every boy wanted to date. But she'd found love in a man who kept to himself a lot, worked in a garage, and told her stories that helped her sleep at night. Charlotte didn't consider herself the _it _girl of Tree Hill, if that title belonged to anybody it was Sawyer (and she knew it, too), but Graham seemed a lot like his father. Maybe they would end up like his parents?

When the conversation had died down the children left the table and the women started for the kitchen. Charlotte helped Lane bring in the plates and they heard a thud and a little bit of a groan.

"Honey, are you okay?" Lane looked down to Harrison's body sprawled out on the kitchen floor. With no surprise he'd come running and stumbling into the kitchen only to bite the dust.

"Me otay." The boy started to get up and Lane laughed.

"I should have gotten him a helmet for Christmas."

Charlotte nodded, "And maybe some knee pads and elbow pads."

"I know, right."

Anne walked into the kitchen with a few glasses and set them by the sink, "We don't have to do these now. Graham can open up the other presents before we start to clean up."

The family headed back to the living room where Graham proceeded to open up the rest of his birthday presents. His parents had gotten him a nice watch that was supposed to stand up against the harsh sea and those sixty foot drops from the helicopters. He also got the usual non-fun gifts as well. His mom had picked out a few new shirts and a sweater to go along with that fancy new watch of his.

A hour and a half ticked by and the McFarland household had been consumed by the crackle of the fire and light conversation. Embarrassing conversation actually.

"That didn't happen." Graham looked at Charlotte and shook his head.

Lane sat up and nodded, "Yes it did. We have pictures. You were wearing one my my tutu's and I drew red magic marker on your lips." Lane hopped up off the couch and straight to the shelf filled with family pictures. She knew there was a photo of three year old Graham dressed like a girl.

Charlotte raised her brow and tried to imagine and young version of the brave rescue swimmer to her right dressed in pink. She looked at Crawford with a laugh, "What about you? Lane didn't dress you up too?"

Laughing, the twenty two year old shook his head, "I wasn't born yet. And after I was she'd grown out of that phase."

"Mom, which album are they in? I know they are in one of these."

Anne had no idea which album they might have been in and to spare her oldest son the embarrassment, she didn't even guess. Turning toward Philip, Anne noticed that Caroline was slumped against her father on one side and Harrison was slumped on the the other. "Honey? Why don't we pull all those out next time."

Lane was flipping through the pages trying her hardest to find the all incriminating photos of her brother. She glanced up and saw that her mother was looking at her children. "They're asleep aren't they?"

Philip was sitting comfortably with his kids curled up on either side, "It was getting kind of late."

Defeated that she was going to need to stop looking for that tutu photo, Lane walked over to her family. "Hey Graham? Crawford? You think you could get them up off of Phillip and take them to the car?"

The two brothers nodded and Charlotte watched as Lane's two kids were lifted off their father. While Lane got the coats on the kids, Charlotte and Anne walked into the kitchen. The two women were tending to the dishes and Charlotte found herself looking at a picture that was on the fridge. It was Graham. He wasn't wearing a tutu but he was wearing the uniform she'd seen before.

Charlotte turned to Mrs. McFarland and she was about to speak but Lane came into the kitchen.

"We're gonna head home." Pulling on her jacket, Lane walked over to her mother and hugged her goodbye. "I'll call you tomorrow." The mother of two flipped her hair out of her collar and smiled at Charlotte, "I'm so glad you got to come up here, Charlotte. It was great to meet you."

Charlotte had her hands under the sink and nodded, "You too."

Lane walked out of the kitchen and Mrs. McFarland sighed with a smile, "Well the first night wasn't so bad? Think you can handle all this?" Anne widened her eyes and slung the dish towel over her shoulder.

"I think so." Charlotte confidently nodded and looked back to the picture of Graham on the refrigerator. "I do have a question though."

"Ask away, my dear."

"How do you deal with Graham being in the Coast Guard?"

Anne crossed her arms and leaned on the counter, "You mean how do I sleep at night knowing he jumps from helicopters into a sea that could swallow him up?" She laughed and shook her head, "I learned a long time ago that worrying only makes things worse. His first year in I told him I wanted him to call me after every mission." Mrs. McFarland smiled and shook her head, "And it worked at first, but then he forgot a few times and I just about had a come apart. But what I've learned over the years is that no news is good news. It's those late night phone calls I dread the most." Anne glanced at the picture of the boy on the fridge, "I know he's safe out there. Something about that ocean has always seemed more like home than this place ever was. I'm not saying that it's not hard or that I don't worry when hurricanes roll into town. I do. But I know he'll be okay."

Charlotte took in every word that Mrs. McFarland was saying. She had the right mindset. No news was good news. Maybe that's how she was going to have to view this whole Coast Guard thing. If she could, she'd worry for an eternity. Charlotte wasn't exactly sure why all the sudden she felt the need to ask for a little advice or input but it was something she liked hearing.

Graham walked into the kitchen with a smile on his face. "You should have seen that. Crawford had Harrison's straps so tangled and twisted that even Lane couldn't figure out what he'd done."

"It's not my fault. I don't have kids." Crawford walked in behind his brother.

Graham turned around and shook his head, "Me either, but I at least got Caroline in the seat right. It wasn't _that_ hard."

"Fine. Whatever." Crawford rolled his eyes and opened the fridge.

Charlotte found herself smiling. It was the simple things; Graham being good at strapping a child in a car seat made a grin spread over her lips.

"I take it you're gonna stay here tonight?" Anne looked at her youngest with a raised brow.

He nodded, "If that's okay?"

"That's fine. I'm pretty sure your bed has fresh sheets." Anne turned to Charlotte and Graham, "I know yours do."

As soon as Mrs. McFarland had finished saying that, Charlotte let out yawn, "Excuse me, sorry."

Crawford smiled and reached for a glass in the cabinet, "Yeah, we're kinda a handful." He nodded, "Guess you better get used to it."

A blush the size of the entire state of North Carolina started to smear across her cheeks and Charlotte smiled, "It's nothing I can't handle."

This time is was Graham who was smiling. His eyes met those familiar brown ones and he didn't need to say anything. Neither of them did. Glancing toward his mom, Graham raised his brow, "Mom, do you need any help putting this stuff up?"

"No I'm fine."

The three young adults walked out of the kitchen and Crawford when into the living room while Charlotte and Graham headed up the stairs. They both walked into Lane's old room and Charlotte slowly laid down on the bed. Graham slid next to her and smiled.

"My family loves you."

"What?" Charlotte started to smirk and shook her head, "How do you know that?"

"I can just tell." He nodded and let out a laugh, "I'm pretty sure Crawford likes you more than me."

"No, and even if that was true I think he likes my dad more." Charlotte leaned back into the pillows and looked up to the ceiling. She sighed heavily and rested her hands over her stomach, "I think I could go to bed like this. Just like this." Closing her eyes, Charlotte felt Graham lean over and kiss her.

His face was hovering just over hers and when she opened up her eyes they were met with his. "I'll see you in the morning." Graham leaned down and kissed her once more.

It was almost as if sudden exhaustion has set in. But in all fairness, Charlotte had had a busy day, not to mention she was still coming out of that pesky cold she'd had. Graham got up off the bed and Charlotte turned over on her side, "Night."

"Night."

Graham walked out of the bedroom and shut the door. He made his way downstairs and saw that his parents and brother were all still sitting in the living room.

"She's a good girl, Graham." Mr. McFarland looked up toward his son with a nod.

"And it's kind of awesome that her dad is Nathan Scott."

Graham rolled his eyes at his little brother but had to agree with his father, "She's great."

Looking toward her son, Mrs. McFarland had a pretty good idea that this Charlotte Scott girl was going to be around for a very long time. She couldn't put her finger on it, and she couldn't exactly back up her assumption except for the fact that she knew her son loved that girl. Anne had caught the glances between the two, the small ways they would brush by each other. It was obvious to an untrained eye that Charlotte and Graham were good together.

**OTHOTH**

Graham was quietly tiptoeing through his childhood home on his way to Lane's room, but it wasn't his older sister he was going to see. Nope. She lived across the bridge and her room was now occupied by Charlotte.

Leaning his head toward the door, Graham held his breath to quiet any additional noise to see if he could hear her. He couldn't and figured she was still asleep. It was just past six o'clock in the morning so she was probably sleeping in. Her first night with his family had probably exhausted her.

Cracking open the door, Graham carefully walked toward the bed and put down the gloves and toboggan he'd gathered from the hall closet.

Graham sat down on the bed and leaned toward the sleeping girl, "Hey? Charlotte? Wake up." His cheek rubbed against her soft hair and he breathed in her shampoo.

Charlotte stirred in her sleep and cracked open her eyes. A little dazed, she ran her hand over her brow and blinked multiple times.

He smiled as he watched Charlotte start to wake, "You gotta get dressed."

Slowly sitting up and wiping her eyes, Charlotte yawed, "What?"

"We gotta go."

"Huh?" It was too early on a non-school day for her to comprehend what he was saying.

"I'm taking you to breakfast."

"Now?"

Graham nodded. "But we have to be quiet." Furrowing her brow, Charlotte was not understanding why he wanted her to be so secretive. He looked at the hat and gloves he'd set down on the bed. "You're gonna want to layer up."

"Okay." Charlotte nodded and started to push the covers off. She figured that a turtle neck, jeans, boots, and a scarf would be plenty warm enough for whatever it was Graham had in mind. Were they walking to breakfast? Maybe that was it? Maybe they were going to walk to the restaurant? Everything was so close anyways.

Graham couldn't help but watch her get ready. No make-up, hair skewed, and more yawns than he could count: Charlotte Scott was beautiful.

"Should I grab my jacket?" She whispered as she brushed her hair and looked to him.

He shook his head and unzipped his jacket,"You can wear mine. It's gonna be windy and mine has the neoprene in it."

"What about you?"

"I'm taking my Dad's old one. I'll be fine." He reached for the gloves and the toboggan. "Here."

Charlotte laughed, "What? Is it snowing outside or something?"

Graham laughed with her, "No, but I think you'll want them."

"Where are you taking me? The Arctic?" She straighten out her shirt with a smile, wrapped her scarf around her neck, and started to pull on his jacket. Charlotte couldn't help but notice how it smelled like Graham. _McFarland_ was printed just over the right breast pocket and she started to blush subconsciously. Something about wearing that name made her stomach flutter. "So how's this?"

Graham looked at his girlfriend and was positive that she wore that jacket better than he did. He genuinely smiled and tossed her the gloves and the hat. "Put those on and we'll be ready to go."

She laughed as she slid the gloves and hat on. "Okay, so now will you tell me where we're going?"

"Out."

"Graham." Charlotte narrowed her eyes with a smile, "Come on. Just tell me."

"You wanted to ride the ferry, didn't you?"

Feeling a smile start to creep across her lips, Charlotte nodded. She wanted to do that more than anything. There was something about it, something she couldn't quite describe. There was something majestic about riding a ferry that Charlotte couldn't deny.

The two twenty-somethings started to walk out of the bedroom and Graham took Charlotte's hand as they made their way down the stairs. A old brown leather jacket was hanging on the banister and he picked it up along with the keys he'd stuck in the pocket. Charlotte watched him pull gloves from his other pocket and she raised her brow in confusion. Why in the world were they bundling up so much? Sure, it was late December and the North Carolina cold was bitter and mean, but gloves?

Graham piked up the black helmet that was sitting on the hall table and he smiled. There was a smaller one sitting on the floor and he picked it up, "This one's for you."

As he placed the helmet in her hands, Charlotte's eyes were as wide as the moon. "Gr...Graham."

"Shh." He held his finger close to his mouth and shook his head. "If Crawford wakes up..." He opened the door and tilted his head, "It's the best way to see The Banks."

On a motorcycle? Charlotte was suddenly thinking a simple car ride would suffice. She felt him take her hand and Graham led her out the door. The chilly morning air was stinging against her cheeks and Charlotte wasn't so sure about this motorcycle thing. The weather, the measly little helmet she got for protection, the fact that Graham was stealing from his little brother; maybe it wasn't a good idea.

But it was. It was adventurous. It was the way he looked it that old leather jacket, his sunglasses, those jeans. Her stomach was twisting and turning as it filled with butterflies and Charlotte was starting to thing maybe it was a good thing.

Graham walked closer to her and his hands went straight to the helmet straps. He didn't want that thing coming off. Her brown eyes were staring back at him and he leaned down to kiss her. "If you don't want to do this..."

"No, I want to." She nodded, "I do." Charlotte grabbed on to Graham's jacket and tugged him towards her again. "It's the best way to see The Outer Banks, right?" Her sarcastic tone was matched as her lips curved upwards into a smirk.

Nodding, Graham smiled. "Let me help you on." They both walked toward Crawford's crimson and chrome Harley. "Or maybe I should get on first and then you can?" Charlotte nodded and she watched him kick his leg over the side. He motioned for her to get on so she did. Her chest was flush against his back and she wrapped her arms around his torso. "It's gonna be loud so we probably can't talk, but it'll take us about thirty minutes to get to breakfast. It's pretty isolated down there so don't get worried when you don't see any houses. It's just beaches for miles."

Charlotte wasn't worried. Not with Graham.

"And if it's too cold we can turn around."

The weather was not going to be a problem. Charlotte already felt like a million degrees. Her heart was racing, her nerves were shooting like fireworks, and a soft blush warmed her cheeks. If anything the weather was helping balance everything out.

"Ready?" Graham turned and looked at his girlfriend.

Charlotte nodded and heard him kick the kickstand. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment. This was possibly going to be the most frightening thing she'd ever done or the most romantic. Maybe both?

Graham started up the motorcycle and grimaced because it was so loud. It would be seconds before Crawford came tearing out of the house. "Alright, here we go." Graham had to yell back toward Charlotte because there was no telling if she could hear over the engine.

Letting off the clutch and pressing the throttle, Graham lifted his feet off the ground and they were off. There was a slight bump as they pulled out of the driveway and Charlotte tightened her grip around Graham's stomach. She was never letting go. Maybe this whole riding a motorcycle thing wouldn't be so bad. It really wasn't the two wheels she was worried about. Itw was Crawford. He was likely going to wake up to find that he was missing something. Hopefully he wouldn't hold it against her.

Turning her cheek, Charlotte rested her chin on Graham's shoulder and then rested her forehead on the same spot. Her nose was pressed against his jacket and she closed her eyes. Never in a million years would she have thought that riding a motorcycle would be so relaxing. The thick salty air was fresh and cold but neither Charlotte nor Graham seemed to mind.

The motorcycle sped down the coastal highway and Charlotte couldn't help but roam her eyes along the beautiful sights. The left side of the highway was the coastal side but the ocean was covered by tan colored dunes that were three stories high.

A few miles down the road Charlotte saw Graham point to a little blue light house. There was a sign along the highway and Charlotte saw that they were on Bodie Island.

Graham pointed to an old structure to the along the beach and turned his face toward Charlotte, "It's an old abandoned post."

Amazingly, she was able to hear what he'd said. "What? What do they use it for now?"

"They're trying to rebuild it as a lookout."

Charlotte glanced back toward the old building they'd just passed and wondered if men back in the twenties stood out on the porch with binoculars and sailor hats. There was probably some story behind the old building.

"We'll be in Rodanthe soon! We're eating there."

Resting her chin on Graham's shoulder, Charlotte nodded and started taking in the sights again. They'd passed the Bodie Coast Guard Base, sea grass that was as tall as she was, and they'd driven over an inlet that had been full of white gulls.

_If you're a bird, I'm a bird. _That phrase was resonating through Charlotte mind as they passed the Carolina birds and she found herself smiling.

Pretty soon they came upon a small town and Graham pulled off the highway. He parked the motorcycle at Atlantic Coast Cafe and cut the engine, "Ready to eat?"

"I'm starving."

"They've got the best breakfast on The Banks." He nodded and reached for her hand.

They got a table that over looked the sound and Charlotte marveled at the sprawling menu. For being the off-season this place sure didn't skimp on options. Graham knew immediately that he was going to have the Hatteras Heap. It was a full load of bacon, eggs, hash browns, a buttermilk biscuit, and cheese grits. Charlotte settled with their famous French toast.

"So what's the deal with Hatteras? Why is it the National Seashore?"

Graham took a sip of his orange juice and shrugged, "It's the sand."

"The sand?" Charlotte thought that was a little silly.

"No yeah, it is." Graham nodded, "It's a great habitat for sea turtles. Do you know anything about sea turtles?" Charlotte shook her head so Graham continued. "Sea turtles lay hundreds of eggs at a time but most of the time only a few survive. But in Hatteras there is so little human development that the shore is almost entirely in it's natural form. The babies have a really high survival rate."

Charlotte narrowed her eyes as she tried to put it together, "So they come back, don't they? The turtles?"

"Yeah. The mama turtles know that their babies will be alright buried under that sand. And it's not that it's one hundred percent safe, some of the eggs won't make it but most of them do."

"It's kind of like a place of hope."

Graham nodded, "Something like that."

A waitress with a warm smile and coffee approached the table and the couple placed their orders. It didn't take long for their food to come out considering there were about five people inside the whole place. Breakfast was consumed slowly because they had the whole day. More or less.

"What are we doing next?"

Graham glanced at his new watch, "I think we can catch the next ferry if we leave in a little bit."

"To Ocra-cola?" Charlotte smiled and was eager to extend their day trip to another island.

Laughing at Charlotte's mispronunciation, Graham nodded, "Ocracoke."

"Right, that one." Charlotte put her napkin on her plate and nodded, "Well I'm ready."

Laughing at her again, Graham took one final sip of his coffee and started to get up. He put some money on the table and the duo walked back outside. Winter reminded them just how bitter the temperature was when the breeze hit their cheeks.

"It's not a far ride. We should get there pretty soon."

Charlotte nodded and waited for Graham to get on the motorcycle. She slip behind him and fastened her helmet. Graham kick started the bike and they were off. Rodanthe and Cape Hatteras were cute little towns, and Graham had been right. It didn't take too long to get to the docks.

"Perfect timing!" He turned to yell to Charlotte as he drove into lane number one.

Watching the boat slide across the water, Charlotte wondered how many people were on their way to the mainland.

"It's probably just the mailman. I doubt there will be a lot of commuting for the locals at this time. Most of them either ride the early morning lines or the late afternoon ones."

The ferry docked in one of the three ports and Charlotte watched as a few cars started to drive off. Graham had been right. The mailman and his postal truck had been first but he was accompanied by a pest control service and some other delivery van. Graham kicked the engine back on and watched as a man with a orange vest wave him through. Charlotte wrapped her hands around her boyfriend and smiled the whole way on the ramp.

"Looks like we've got a single, Greg." The man who had waved them on called up to the captains quarters.

Once they had parked, Graham got off and pointed up to the second floor observation deck. "There is an outside and an inside deck up there."

Charlotte nodded and Graham led her up the old iron steps. She didn't really mind the cold so she walked toward the railing and leaned her arms against the sides. "It's beautiful out here." She glanced across the water and then back to Graham.

The ferry started to move and Graham put his hands on the rail on either side of Charlotte. He leaned he head close to hers and kissed her temple. The water and the scenery may have been beautiful but Charlotte was the sight that was taking his breath away.

"We can come back in the Summer and it won't be so cold. You should see it then."

Charlotte turned to face him and shook her head, "I kind of like it." There was something incredibly intimate about being all alone on a ferry headed toward a small town island. Just over Graham's shoulder, Charlotte saw a man with a simple uniform on.

"Courtesy of the Captain." He handed Charlotte and Graham each a little Styrofoam cup.

"Thank you." Charlotte held the coffee close to her nose and breathed it in.

Graham looked up toward the captains quarters and nodded at the white haired man.

Charlotte took a sip of her coffee and smiled, "See, coming out here in the Winter isn't so bad. Turns out the captain picks favorites."

Nodding, Graham leaned toward her and kissed her sweetly. Charlotte was right. Coming out in the Winter was way more exciting than he would have ever imagined.

Charlotte's back was leaning against his chest and Graham's pocket started to vibrate. He knew who it was going to be and he could only imagine what the text might say. Flipping his phone, Graham laughed. _Where the hell are you? I want my bike back!_ Using his thumb, Graham replied to Crawford: _My keys are in the kitchen. You'll be fine with mine for the day._

"Crawford, right?"

"Yeah. Turns out he wants to know where his motorcycle is." Graham just laughed and pressed his body against Charlotte's. Crawford could get over it. Right now, right then, Graham was only preoccupied with the girl in front of him. She made a cold winter day warm, a ferry ride worth remembering, and she was making his heart beat out of his chest. His family got along with her great, and he couldn't have asked for a better trip. The next best thing was happening now. It was just him and it was just her. It was all Graham might ever need in life and he was starting to realize it was all he'd ever want.

Good thing Charlotte was feeling the exact same way. Graham was a green eyed Carolina boy she'd fallen for who was going to make a lasting impression on her young life. Graham's parents knew it, her parents knew it, everyone knew it. They were in the midst of something that was undeniable and true.

**OTHOTH**

**Well I ended up cutting the part where Mr. McFarland tells Charlotte a story (if you want too imagine it, think driftwood)...but I'm sure I'll be able to do it sometime down the road. And no, I don't have some affinity for The Notebook, I just really couldn't help but think of that bird line when Charlotte and Graham were driving over the inlet. But anyways...how'd you like it? Where any of you expecting Charlotte to get Graham a dog? I tried to make it obvious last chapter by describing the card but I guess none of you wanted to guess that. I'm pretty sure next chapter will have them getting the dog. Oh, and Sawyer and Ben will come back into play. **

**My reviewers are amazing! The feedback is appreciated to no end. You guys have no idea how great it makes me feel to know you all like the story!**

**MagicalNaley23: I'm glad you liked last chapter. Sawyer faking sick was fun to write. She's fun to write in general, lol. You're right, nothing get's past Haley. Knowing about Charlotte taking those finger sandwiches was something I thought she would definitely know about. Yes; today, tomorrow, and the day after that, is very much like NH's always and forever. Lucas talking to Ben would fit more in Sawyer's story. I guess it might have been nice to have in there but it would have had little or nothing to do with Charlotte and Graham. Again, I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Blurrystars: Sorry for the wait. You probably lost most of the excitement about "meeting" Graham's family, lol. I'm so glad you like the way I write Sawyer. I really have a lot of fun with her character. I hope the sign wasn't a let down...but the puppy was really more important gift.**

**Joan: You are very welcome for having Graham bring Haley soup. It's such an obvious NH thing that I couldn't not have Charlotte and Graham do it to. Chicken noodle, extra noodle, no less, lol. Haha, no I did not write for Gilmore Girls. I actually only watched that show from time to time but I did really enjoy all their quick banter and wit. I'm so happy you liked the chapter!**

**Review Please!**


	12. Puppy Love

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 12: Puppy Love**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing related to OTH. Any characters from the show belong to Mark. I am not Mark.**

**A/N: This one jumps time a little bit from last chapter. That puppy Charlotte got Graham as a gift, it'll come home. You'll get to see how they deal with the bundle of fur and other things I've thrown in. Sawyer and Ben are in this one...a lot. I hope you don't mind, and that you like it!**

**OTHOTH**

Before Graham came over to pick her up, Charlotte wanted to make sure everything was ready. There was a large metal kennel-crate situated against the back wall of the kitchen, she'd bought bowls for food and water, a few stuffed toys, and the vet recommended Puppy Chow. She was ready to bring home a puppy; their puppy.

It was any usual Saturday. Mid-morning and the early March winds were blowing in Spring. It was the perfect time to have an outdoor companion. Charlotte had no doubt that this puppy would end up spending a lot of time cuddling on the couch though, but that was kept under wraps for Sawyer's sake.

After a little bit of convincing, Charlotte had swayed Sawyer's thinking in that keeping the puppy at their place wasn't such a bad idea. They had a back yard that was fenced in, they had a lot more room than the boys' apartment, and Charlotte made the plea that dogs needed space. Sawyer had been against it at first. She wasn't particularly fond of the probable barking, house training, or having things chewed up; that just wasn't her style. But Charlotte somehow convinced Sawyer that it would be okay. She swore that if the puppy tore up cushions or ate some of Sawyer's records she would pay her back in full.

A constant buzz started to make Charlotte's purse vibrate and she hopped up to grab her phone. It was Graham.

"Hi."

"Hey." The green eyed Coastie looked around the base and sighed into the phone, "So I don't think I'm gonna be able to get out of here as early as I thought." He wanted to. He really did, but since most of the base, Graham included, was going to be at the baseball field later that after afternoon Admiral Langston wanted his boys on duty.

Charlotte furrowed her brow, "Oh."

"Yeah, I know we wanted to go pick one out together... But it'll be fine." Graham laughed into the phone wanting to reassure her that she was perfectly capable of picking out a good dog, "You can go over there and pick us out one. I trust you."

"Are you sure?" The last thing Charlotte wanted to do was pick out a dog that he hated. "What if I get us the worst one."

Nodding, Graham answered, "You won't, and it'll be a nice surprise."

"We haven't even talked about which to get. Do you want a girl or a boy?"

It really didn't matter. "Whatever you want."

"Aw, Graham, come on. At least let me get that right." Charlotte furrowed her brow hoping that he would give her a more concrete answer.

He laughed and shook his head, "No really, I don't care."

Charlotte thought it over and realized that she was holding complete control over their new addition. Hopefully she wouldn't screw up and pick the wild child of the bunch. "So you want me to bring the puppy to the baseball game?"

"That sounds good," He nodded. Having Charlotte bring their puppy to the charity baseball game was an excellent idea.

"Alright, okay." She was a little hesitant but nodded anyway. She checked the time and knew she needed to get going if she wanted to get them a dog. "I love you."

"I love you, too. I'll see you later."

"Bye." Charlotte tossed her phone in her purse and took a deep breath. It would be fine. It was just a dog. No big deal. She looked at the crate on the floor and her eyes got wide. Yes-huh, it was totally a big deal. It was an important decision.

The front door opened and Sawyer walked into the two bedroom house with a arched brow, "I thought you'd be gone by now? Aren't you supposed to bring the furball home today?"

Sliding her purse over her arm, Charlotte nodded, "Yeah. I'm leaving right now, actually." As she walked toward the front door she managed to slip a finger through Sawyer's belt loop.

"What the hell?" Sawyer felt herself being tugged back toward the door and turned to Charlotte with a strange look.

"Graham can't come so I need someone else to go with me. Come on. It'll be you and the puppy's first bonding experience."

Sawyer's eyes got wide, "Bonding experience? I'm sure I'll have enough of that here with the thing."

Charlotte stopped pulling on her cousin's pants and turned to look at her, "Please?"

There was something in Charlotte's eyes that made it hard for anyone to say no to her. There was a kindness there; a simple look that could drown even the deepest of hesitations. "Ugh! Okay, fine. But you have to stop doing that. It's not fair."

Smiling, Charlotte shrugged, "What?"

Sawyer furrowed her brow and pointed at the middle of Charlotte's face, "That."

Letting out a small laugh, Charlotte nodded, "Come on, let's go." Sawyer was about to interject with something else to say but the brunette of the bunch knew what was coming. "And I know you want to take your car but I doubt you want a puppy climbing over the leather."

Realizing her cousin was completely right, Sawyer smiled, "True."

The girls got into Charlotte's car and they headed down the road. Sawyer talked most of the ride. About random things, every thing.

They approached a house and Charlotte turned into the driveway, "We're here." She put it into park and turned to Sawyer, "There should be about seven to choose from. Graham didn't say if he wanted a boy or girl so I guess I'll just know the one I want when we see it."

"Sounds like a plan." Sawyer nodded and slid her sunglasses into her hair.

A middle aged woman came out on the porch and smiled at the two young twentysomethings. She worked in the office at Tree Hill High, so she and Charlotte were work friends.

"Charlotte, hi."

Returning the gesture, Charlotte smiled, "Hi, Betty."

"I thought you were gonna bring that dashing Coastie of yours with you?"

Sawyer almost laughed when she heard dashing but she kept to herself.

An immediate blush crept across the younger Scott girl's face. Betty had met Graham a few times when he'd come to visit her at school. "He had to work." She turned to Sawyer, "I brought my best friend, Sawyer, with me."

Sawyer was never a big fan of meet and greets or introductions unless it had to do with music, but she smiled politely.

"The puppies are out back. They've all been cleared by the vet and have had their first shots so as long as you find one you like, you're more than welcomed to take 'em home." Betty walked the girls around to the backyard and Sawyer could hear the pint sized barks and yelps. Betty clicked the door latch and smiled, "Some of them really take to strangers so a few of 'em may rush over you to."

Charlotte got nervous as they walked through the gate but in a good way. In an exciting way. She saw a big dog, probably the mama, and then tiny little things running around her. "Oh my gosh."

Betty couldn't help but smile and nod, "Yep, they're cuties." She shut the gate back and turned to the girls, "Feel free to play around with them."

Sawyer was surprised at how fast her state of mind changed. Those little terrors were adorable. She glanced at the big dog and saw how beautiful her golden coat was realizing that maybe it wouldn't be such a bad thing to have a a dog around the house.

"How am I supposed to choose, I want them all." Charlotte laughed and shook her head. Her eyes traveled over the puppies that were surrounded by the mother and then she saw two golden blobs out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't even been there five minutes and she'd found _it_. The puppy was running around with a stick in its mouth and she knew. Her heart had melted over that first puppy and she _just_ knew.

"Charlotte..." Sawyer reached out for her cousin and pointed toward the two dogs Charlotte was already looking at, "That one. I want that one." The second one was a little more plump and stumbled every other step trying to catch its litter mate. Sawyer's eyes were glued to the second dog and she couldn't hide her smile when the puppy fell over himself. "Oh my God." She'd just fallen in love. She realized that she was there to help Charlotte pick one out but she wasn't going to miss the opportunity. Sawyer looked at Betty with raised eyebrows, "How much?"

Charlotte had been keeping an eye on that first puppy and realized that Sawyer was talking about the other one. "I don't know, Saw. Look at that first one."

Sawyer turned to Charlotte and furrowed her brow as she pointed to the clumsy pup, "For _me_. For Ben. I want that one."

"You want one?"

"Oh don't look so surprised." Sawyer started walking and scooped up the puppy. "How can I not get..." Sawyer checked under the puppy's legs and smirked, "...him?"

While Charlotte watched Sawyer play with the other puppy, the little one with the stick happily trotted towards her.

"Hey, you." Kneeling down, Charlotte ran her hands over the puppy's coat and she was having a moment much like Sawyer had. Puppy love. "You are adorable." She sat down on the ground and the little thing started to crawl over her lap which made her laugh. Charlotte realized that the puppy she'd fallen for was a boy as well and turned to Sawyer, "We're gonna need to get more bowls, and food...and a bigger kennel."

Sawyer looked at the puppy in her arms and shrugged, "Fine by us."

The puppy that was crawling over Charlotte had settled against her leg and rested his head on her thigh. He looked up to her with wide eyes and yawned. The simple action made Charlotte swoon. She was absolutely positive that she had picked the right one. The only thing left was to see how Graham would like him.

**OTHOTH**

It was about four o'clock in the afternoon and the sun was shinning brightly on the baseball field. It was a great day for baseball. Every Spring, the Coast Guard split into teams: The Guardsmen and Coasties. They'd raise money the first ten weeks of the year and then it would all culminate to the March baseball game. An extra five thousand dollars would go to the winning teams and to the charity of their choice. It was a huge competition but friendly. All the service men played and their family and friends were encouraged to play as well.

The first pitch was to be thrown within a half hour and the boys were warming up.

Graham was in the middle of throwing back and forth with one of his teammates when he saw Ben walking up to him.

Holding his mask and dressed with his catchers gear, Ben flipped his hat backwards and held out his hands, "Losing team is buying drinks tonight."

"That means you, right," Graham shot back. It was always nice to have a bit of a rivalry between him and his best friend.

Ben shook his head as he walked toward the opposite dugout, "Whatever man. I'll be hitting so many line drives I'm gonna have you sprinting across the entire outfield."

Graham rolled his eyes and continued to loosen up with his fellow Guardsmen teammate. There was no way Ben's team would win.

"Isn't that Charlotte?" Graham's throwing partner used his glove to point and Graham turned around.

"Yeah." He tossed the ball back toward the guy, "I'll be right back." He turned to walk toward his girlfriend and was surprised at what he saw. She wasn't carrying a puppy, not even a leash. She had her blue t-shirt jersey, the matching hat and was holding two baseball gloves. They made eye contact and Charlotte waved.

Sawyer was just behind Charlotte and she was the one with the puppy. Puppies to be more precise. She had one in each arm and Graham furrowed his brow when he met Charlotte, "Two?"

Charlotte shrugged, laughing as she turned to look at Sawyer, "She had a change of heart. Looks like you and Ben both got dogs."

"No kidding." Graham admired the two puppies Sawyer had and shook his head. Ben was going to be so surprised.

"Go get him." Sawyer put down the pup with the green collar and watched him gallop over toward the two in blue Guardsmen uniforms.

"It's a boy." Charlotte smiled as their puppy ran towards Graham.

Graham knelt down, "Hey boy." He ran his hands over the puppy's soft coat and there was an instant connection. "He's great, Charlotte."

"We've got to figure out a name."

Ben had seen his friends and girlfriend over by the fence and he'd headed that way. When he saw that Sawyer was cradling a puppy in her arms his heart skipped a beat.

"No way." Ben looked to Charlotte and Graham first hoping they wouldn't shoot down his excitement.

Graham nodded, "Looks like you got one too."

Sawyer almost blushed when Ben got up to her. "I couldn't help it." That had been true. To Sawyer that cute little thing was Ben in puppy form. Only the dog version would bicker with her all the time.

Graham had picked up his and Charlotte's puppy and looked at her, "Big step for them, huh?"

Smiling, Charlotte nodded, "And they don't even realize it."

Sawyer had given Ben their puppy and he looked over his shoulder to his friends, "What about names? What do we name them?"

"Elvis and Costello." Sawyer nodded because that was obviously her first choice.

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head, "No." She laughed again, "I figured the boys would come up with some nautical names or something."

Ben looked at the puppy in his arms, "You know, I always kinda wanted to name a dog Trout."

Graham liked Ben's idea of naming a dog after a fish. After looking down at the green collared little fella, he glanced to Charlotte. "How about Mackerel? We can call him Mack?"

"I love it."

"Yeah?" Graham raised his eyebrows.

Charlotte nodded, "Yeah."

As much as Sawyer wanted to protest and argue more steadily for Elvis and Costello she had to note that Trout Trammel and Mack McFarland were kind of cute dog names. Of course she wouldn't tell anyone that, but she did like them.

"How bout you, O.J.? Whatdya think?" Ben gave Sawyer a goofy smile.

"Trout, huh?" Sawyer ran her hand over the puppy and sighed, "If it can't be Elvis or Costello then I can settle with Trout."

The other three just rolled their eyes and Graham saw that the teams were starting to huddle up. "I think we're gonna start soon." He looked down at the two gloves Charlotte had been holding and he smiled, "You gonna play?"

"I thought I might."

Ben looked at Charlotte and to Sawyer, "You two better be up for some competition. I told Graham that the losing team will have to buy drinks tonight."

Sawyer laughed, "Psh, not a problem. Charlotte, toss me a glove. I'm ready to kick some baseball ass."

The boys laughed while Charlotte tossed Sawyer a glove. The two dressed in Coast Guard orange t-shirts started to walk to the field and Sawyer gave Charlotte Trout's leash. The brown eyed girl looked up to the green eyed boy, "You should probably get over to your team. I wouldn't want to keep one of their best players waiting."

He looked again towards the sea of blue shirts and shook his head as he leaned in to kiss her. "You're not."

Charlotte felt one of those familiar wave of heat surge toward her cheeks and she bit her lip and tilted her head, "Go on, get out there."

He kissed her quickly again and then ran towards the dugout. Charlotte felt like she was about to fall over. Graham had that way about him. The kind of look that made her feel like he could stop time, a kiss that could heal all wounds, and a touch that was unmatched. Nobody in the whole wide world made Charlotte feel that way.

Her trance was broken when a little girl and her mother approached her.

"Puppies!" The girl was about four and looked like a kid on Christmas. "What are they're names?"

Charlotte knelt down and rubbed on the larger one, "This one is Trout..." She then ran her hand over Mack's back, "...and this one is Mack."

The girl's mother leaned down to pet the dogs. "They are so cute."

"Thank you. We just got them today."

The little girl looked up with a smile, "We have a poodle. She looks like cotton balls."

Charlotte laughed at the little girl and nodded, "I bet she does."

A few more people had gathered around Charlotte and the puppies because it seemed that no one could resist the little balls of adorableness.

Graham had been huddled up with his team before they took the field and when he turned back to Charlotte he saw her smiling and laughing with the puppies. Snapshots he'd wish could be frozen in time. His team had all stuck their hands in the middle and loudly yelled 'Go Team', but Graham hadn't been paying much attention to what was going on around him. His focus was on a girl by the stands. She was smart, beautiful, caring and compassionate. Everything about her was extraordinary. They were going to build a life together.

Watching Charlotte play with the puppies and laugh with the people around her; Graham realized that they already were.

**OTHOTH**

The game had been over for a couple hours, everyone had gone home and changed, and the rest of the night was about to begin. The four friends had decided PT's for dinner and now they were headed downtown for drinks.

Graham looked over to the passenger seat with a smile. He could tell she was worried. "He'll be okay."

Charlotte looked at him and flashed him an embarrassed smile, "I know, but we just got him. I just feel like leaving him at home while we go out is kinda harsh." She couldn't help but look at the clock on the dash. She knew they'd been away from their newest addition for an hour.

"Trout's with him. They'll be playing with each other in the kennel the whole time. Both of them will be fine." Graham secretly loved the fact that Charlotte was in concerned mommy mode. He couldn't help but assume she'd be the same with children. Their children.

Looking out the window as the car headed downtown, Charlotte nodded, "You're right. Puppies sleep a lot anyway. Mack's probably gonna sleep the whole time we're gone."

"Probably." Graham turned onto Front Street and headed for the pay lot a few blocks down. "If we need to worry about anything it'll be Sawyer and Ben's ego about winning the game today."

Grimacing, Charlotte laughed, "At least it was close. Losing by one run isn't so bad."

Graham agreed, "Nah, it's not. If you hadn't caught that ball in right field in the bottom of the fifth it would have been a lot worse."

Narrowing her eyes, Charlotte arched her brow, "You sound like you had your doubts."

"No, no. I just...I was proud of you."

Charlotte bit her lip and somehow controlled the blush that was about to overtake her face, "You played really well, too." She turned to Graham and glued here eyes to him.

"I don't know about that."

She nodded trying to let him know otherwise, "Oh whatever, you were like a rock star out there. You played great."

Graham looked at her with a smile and sarcasm, "Next year I'll have to bring my A game." He laughed while she shook her head at him.

"Alright. I'll be there. Maybe I'll play for the other team? How 'bout that?"

He shook his head as he turned into the parking lot, "You wouldn't?"

"Maybe." She unbuckled her seat belt and smirked, "Maybe I'll find some other Coastie and go to the game on his arm? Ben, Trevor, Drew..."

"Then who would get Mack in the breakup?"

Charlotte hadn't thought through this hypothetical breakup that far, "Hmm? I guess we'll just have to stay together."

They got out of the car and Graham walked over to take her hand in his, "Works for me."

The couple walked down the sidewalk and when they got inside Front Street Brewery neither of them were surprised that Sawyer and Ben were already there. Sawyer had a thing for driving fast.

"We were wondering if you two bailed." Ben smiled at Charlotte and Graham as they approached the four top table.

Sawyer looked at Charlotte and nodded, "My guess is they stopped by the house on the way over here to check on the puppies."

As Charlotte sat down she shook her head, "No, actually. We must have taken the long route."

"Oh...the _long_ route." Sawyer couldn't help but laugh as she nudged Ben.

Laughing, Graham shook his head toward Sawyer and held out his arms, "So what's everyone want? Since we lost I guess tonight's my lucky night."

He got everyone's drink of choice orders and walked toward the bar. The three that were left started talking about the usual and then Graham returned. He gave the girls their beers and passed Ben his too. The foursome chit chatted about the game, the puppies, the base, and music. Sawyer made sure to point out every song that played in the bar and it had become somewhat of a game.

The last song had died down and the four were on the edge of their seat ready to shout out the title and artist of the next one.

The piano started and Charlotte thought of the most logical answer. "Billy Joel!"

Sawyer knew what it was but she had an incredible distaste for it. "Are you kidding? I never wanted to hear this song again." She cut her eyes at Ben and he just laughed.

"Walking in Memphis!," Ben shouted above everyone else. "Marc Cohn!"

"That shouldn't count. That's like your hometown song." Sawyer looked at her boyfriend and shook her head.

"What?" Ben furrowed his brow, "It totally counts."

Graham nodded, "Score one for Ben, Charlotte. That definitely counted.

Charlotte laughed as she marked their makeshift napkin scorecard, "Shouldn't you have gotten that one, Sawyer? I bet you heard that a couple times when you went to see Ben's dad."

"Ha! A couple?" She glared at Charlotte and then at Ben. "Somebody decided it would be funny to put that song on repeat while we drove through the entire state of Tennessee." She turned to Ben more directly and shook her head, "I swear I could have killed you."

Graham laughed and tried to read what the scorecard said. Charlotte felt Graham's eyes and she quickly pulled the napkin to her chest. She looked down and read the results so far. "Graham, you're bringing up the rear with only a few points, I'm in third, and second and first are only different by one." Both Sawyer and Ben were anxiously waiting to hear the results. "And sitting in second place is Miss Music is My Life, Sawyer."

"Ha! Ha! That's right!" Ben gave Graham a high five and nodded.

Sawyer turned to him while shaking her head. She laughed and leaned into him. "You're an ass."

Charlotte would never understand how that phrase could sound so endearing but it did. She tossed the napkin on the table and looked at their close to empty drinks. "I'll make a bar run. Everybody want something?" They all nodded and the brunette got up to get fresh drinks. She let the bartender know what she wanted and waited for him to return. It had grown crowded since they'd first gotten there and Charlotte knew she might have to wait a minute or two.

She was involuntarily fumbling with her bracelet while she waited and a familiar voice made her turn to her left.

"Somethings never change, huh?"

Charlotte's mouth fell open in both excitement and surprise, "Will!"

"Hey, Charlotte."

The boy she'd loved all through high school was staring at her and Charlotte felt her heart skip a beat. "Wha..wha..." She hugged him and shook her head in disbelief, "How are you? What are you doing home?"

Will took a deep breath and shrugged, "Spring break." He laughed, "I'm up in New York in graduate school at Columbia. I thought I'd come home for a little piece and quiet."

"I heard you were up there. How's it going?"

He laughed, "Slowly." Charlotte frowned because she knew that grad school had to be taxing. Will shook his head though. He didn't want her to feel bad for him. "How are _you_? Mom said you're working at the high school?"

"Yeah." She nodded and smiled while perking up, "Oh and you're mom! You know she still sends my family containers of those famous chocolate covered pretzels for Christmas."

He nodded because he knew it. "She did always love you."

Charlotte automatically bit her lip. There was always something about Will that got her nervous. He may have been talking about how his mom loved her but she had a feeling he felt the same way.

Sawyer was getting impatient and looked toward the bar. Her eyes roamed over the patrons and then she saw Charlotte. "Uh-oh."

Graham and Ben looked at Sawyer funny and didn't know what she was talking about.

"I'll...I'll be right back."

Ben watched Sawyer get off her stool and walk toward the bar.

Graham turned around, "What's that about?" He tried to see where she'd gone but he couldn't find her between everyone.

Sawyer made her way to the bar and walked up behind Charlotte.

The younger Scott turned to the older, "Sawyer, hey. You remember Will, don't you?"

"I do." How could she forget him? He was a constant presence in high school. He dated Charlotte for most of her teenage days, and he played basketball so he was close with Lucas, and her younger brother Keith even thought he was cool.

Will smiled at his ex-girlfirend's cousin, "Good to see you, Sawyer."

"Mmm-huh, you too." It came out a bit sarcastic but Will didn't think anything of it. That was just how Sawyer was.

Sawyer turned to Charlotte and noticed the four drinks that were sitting in front of her by the bar. "The boys are drying up like fish outta water...so..."

"Oh. Sorry. I totally forgot." Charlotte winced when she looked at Sawyer handing her two drinks while she got the others.

"Will why don't you come join us?" Sawyer had no idea where that came from or why she had asked. She knew that it wasn't going to be good news but it just came out of her mouth.

"Um, okay..." He turned to Charlotte and shrugged, "Is that alright?"

How could she say no to the boy who's heart she shattered into a million little pieces? She at least owed him a casual conversation at a bar. "Yeah, of course."

Sawyer started to walk first and Charlotte leaned close and whispered at the lowest volume possible, "What the hell?"

She turned and shrugged, "It just came out."

Charlotte's brown eyes got wide and she had to take a deep breath. Maybe things wouldn't go bad?

Ben and Graham saw the girls approaching and they also noticed the six foot tall guy behind them.

Charlotte caught Graham's eye and she knew that he was wondering who Will was. When they got to the table Charlotte took a quick sip of her drink and started introductions. She stood next to Graham and he habitually put his arm around her side. "Will this is my boyfriend, Graham..." She looked to the lighter haired Coastie and smiled, "And this is Sawyer's boyfriend, Ben."

Will extended his hand to both Graham and Ben. "Good to meet you."

Noticing the way Charlotte and Will were, Ben looked from Will to Charlotte and then back from Charlotte to Will. "Did you two date or something?"

Sawyer all but smacked Ben upside the head. She cut her eyes toward him and shook her head. She knew that she'd started it by inviting Will over to the table but what was Ben thinking?

Will didn't know if he or Charlotte should answer. Both of them stayed quiet for a second and then Charlotte spoke up first. "Yeah, we did."

Graham had never really heard much about Will but she knew that Charlotte had a pretty serious relationship in high school. Something about them being on and off for years, but more on than off.

"You still live here? I feel like we would've run into you before." Ben was on a role with playing Devil's advocate.

Sawyer pinched his leg and discretely shook her head. "Shh."

"Not anymore. I'm up in New York at Columbia right now."

Ben kept pressing out of sheer curiosity. "Oh really? What are you studying?"

Graham swallowed hard. Columbia? He was gonna say he was studying law or medicine or something incredibly academic wasn't he. No wonder Charlotte fell for him in high school. He was probably the smartest guy in their class. He looked like an athlete as well.

Sawyer was gonna go find some duct tape if Ben asked another question. Charlotte would probably help her find some too.

"Biomedical Engineering."

Ben looked at Graham with a nod, "Graham majored in engineering at the Academy."

"Yeah?" Will looked a little surprised. The guy next to the girl he let slip away didn't look like the engineering type.

Graham nodded as he took a sip of his beer, "Marine Engineering at the Coast Guard Academy."

Charlotte could see a heated debate coming about the types of engineering so she shrugged, "He's a rescue swimmer now." Charlotte ran her hand over Graham's back and it was the perfect thing to settle his distaste for this preppy looking smart ass.

Sawyer was gonna hop on the Graham train, "Yeah, it's kind of bad ass."

Will nodded, "No kidding. Good for you. It takes a real hero to do that kind of thing."

Graham hadn't been expecting that compliment and it kind of made him hate Will even more. He probably wasn't the ass-face Graham thought he was.

Having Will on one side and Graham on the other was making Charlotte's head hurt. She took a large sip of her drink and thought of the million other things that would be better than dealing with this.

Sawyer was in a peppy mood and since some of the tension had died down she held out her hands, "Who's up for shots? Saluting our two engineers and..." Sawyer was blanking on what Ben had majored in.

Ben looked at Sawyer with a hint of annoyance, "...marine and environmental science."

Sawyer nodded, "Right." She smiled and took a step toward the bar, "Whatdya say?"

"Yes." Charlotte was the first to respond and she knew a shot would be a welcomed gift if it meant it could clear away some of the awkwardness she was feeling. Having her first love and her current on either side made for a very uncomfortable position. She needed to do something to change that.

**OTHOTH**

The group of four that had grown to five had been at the bar for a while now. Charlotte had been steadily using liquid courage to help her pass the time and it was beginning to show. She wasn't stumbling or slurring her words but if she had a pillow and a blanket she could gone to sleep in the middle of the bar.

Graham leaned toward her and rested his cheek against her head, "You about ready?"

"Huh? Spaghetti?"

Sawyer about spit her drink out and laughed at Charlotte. It wasn't often that Charlotte got this drunk...in public.

Graham looked at her and could tell that she hardly awake. "Let's get you home."

Sawyer watched as Graham got up and she smiled, "Make sure our little one is good when you get home, will you?"

Will turned to Sawyer stunned by her admission.

Realizing that Will thought she had a kid she quickly shook her head, "It's a puppy. We just got a puppy. Not a kid. Ew, no. I don't have kids."

Ben looked at Sawyer and wondered if she'd ever change her mind on that opinion of hers. She claimed that they were dirty little things that drooled and picked their noses only to eat their boogers.

Will laughed after Sawyer had said all that because she hadn't changed much since high school at all. "You still eat Pop-Tarts as meals?"

"You know it."

How did Will know that? Ben looked at the guy as pang of jealously rushed through him.

"Alright, we're gonna head home." Graham reached for his wallet and got out a handful of cash. "Here. This should cover everything."

Ben took the money and smiled, "Man am I glad you guys lost the game."

"I'll see you later." Graham looked at Will and nodded, "It was nice to meet you, Will."

Charlotte's ex nodded and then stood up, "You need help getting her to the car? Let me at least get the door for you."

Graham wasn't going to say no to the guy. He was only trying to help. "Sure."

Charlotte walked at a snails pace but they made it to the car eventually. Will walked to the passenger side door, "Is it unlocked?"

"Yeah. It should be."

Will opened the door and Graham scooped Charlotte up and put her in the seat because it could have taken her thirty minutes to do it on her own. Graham reached across Charlotte's body to click the seat belt and she cracked open an eye.

"Hey?"

He looked at her and smiled, "Hey."

"Kiss me."

Graham wanted to. He wanted to so bad, but Will was standing right there and he didn't think that was fair. He simply leaned close to kiss her cheek, "I will when I get you home." Charlotte nodded and closed her eyes as Graham shut the door.

Will took a deep breath and stuck out his hand. "Take care of her, Graham." There was a hint of regret in his voice and Graham nodded.

"Yeah. I will." Will turned to walk away and Graham looked through the window to Charlotte. She was something else. He'd know that for a long time but watching Will walk away let Graham know that he never wanted her to slip away. It had almost happened once but it wasn't gonna happen again.

Graham walked over to the driver's seat and drove toward the house. He'd carried Charlotte the short way from the street to the front door and got her in bed. Graham had gotten her in some decent sleeping clothes and he sat down on the bed next to her just looking.

"Mmm...hey?" Charlotte stirred in bed and peeked her eyes open.

He thought he knew what she was gonna ask so he leaned down and kissed her. She was already feeling pretty loose but Graham's kiss had her nerves firing in all direction. The alcohol had nothing on him. Graham kissed her one more time on the forehead, "I'm gonna go check on Mack and Trout."

"Kay."

Walking out of the room, Graham hit the lights and made his way to the kitchen to find both puppies sleeping. He didn't want to wake them up but he couldn't help it. They probably needed to go the bathroom anyway. So for the next seven minutes he took the dogs to the backyard and watched them shuffle through the grass. "Come on guys, let's head back in." Graham scooped up the dogs and walked back inside to the living room. He laid down on the couch and turned on the television. Trout curled up in a ball by his feet and Mack was on Graham's chest.

"He's an asshole!" Sawyer barged in the house and startled Graham and the two pups.

"What did Ben do now?" Graham laughed and wondered what dumb thing they were arguing about. Sawyer and Ben always bickered about the most juvenile things.

"Ugh, Ben thinks that there was something between me and Will and he's got his Snoopy boxers in a wad. And uh, hello, if it wasn't evident, Will was clearly into Charlotte back in the day. Not me!" Sawyer walked over to the couch and smiled when she saw Trout. "Your Dad's a big buttface."

Graham watched as Sawyer sat down with Trout, "So what was the deal with Will, anyway?"

"Hmm...Will Browning and Charlotte Scott. The short version or long?"

"Short."

Sawyer took a deep breath. "They were the _it_ couple in high school. She was the cheerleader, he was the jock. They were both so smart that it was annoying. They broke up like three times but never for too long. Charlotte dated like two other guys for like three days but Will was always _it_. Everyone thought they'd end up married." Sawyer ran her hand over Trout's back, "It was kinda like puppy love. They were good for each other when they were young but it faded away."

"So what happened?"

"Charlotte was going to Brown and he was going to Washington and Lee. They decided to mutually break up after graduation figuring they were better off. Will's always loved her, though. I kinda think he always will. But anyways, he flew up to Rhode Island during her sophomore year telling her they could make it work, that he missed her, blah, blah, blah. But Charlotte was ready to move on; shot him down and broke his heart." Sawyer looked at the puppy Graham was holding against his chest and shrugged, "Good thing, too."

"Why do you say that?"

Sawyer arched her brow and laughed, "Cause she's got you now, you idiot. Can't you see how happy she is? She'd do anything for you."

"If it makes you feel better, I think Ben's in the same boat."

"Yeah well..."

Graham rolled his eyes smiling as he stretched out on the couch. "I better get off this thing before I fall asleep and wake up with knots in my back."

Sawyer nodded and she took the couch when he got up.

Graham walked into Charlotte's room and set Mack down at the foot of the bed. Graham laid down next to Charlotte and watched her sleep. He couldn't see too much, but the pale moonlight framed her face. He shifted closer to her and ran his hand over the contours of her side. She stirred a little and leaned further into her pillow.

He just watched her sleep and was overcome by what he saw. "I'm gonna marry you, Charlotte Scott." Graham kissed the side of her mouth and closed his eyes. He hadn't changed clothes but he didn't need to. It didn't matter what he wore to get a good nights sleep; it was who he was with. As long as Charlotte was next to him he'd be perfectly fine.

**OTHOTH**

**As usual, there was some foreshadowing mixed in there. Pick up on it? How many of you remember Will from LM? I'd always intended for him to come back somehow so I thought this might be a nice way to add him in there. For those of you thinking it, no, Charlotte did not hear Graham say that last part to her. She was zonked out. Hmm, what else? Oh, the dogs. Love 'em, hate 'em? How can you hate a puppy? Lots of questions in this ending author's note, sorry. I haven't decided exactly what I want to do for next chapter. If you got a suggestion or something you really wanna see them let me know. Oh, and I almost...almost showed Graham in action at the base. I was going to include him working and in Coastie mode but I ended up scrapping it. Maybe next chapter? And if not then...the next one.**

**My reviewers are the shiz-nat! Thank you all for the support! I cannot thank you enough!**

**Jackie****: I had a good time writing Graham's family members so I'm glad you liked "meeting" them.**

**2old4oth****: I liked that Graham reiterated the fact that it was them, we and us when it came to getting the puppy last chapter. He never seemed to think of it as something only for him. Signs for the future for sure.**

**BDavis****: Crawford was a lot of fun to write. A younger boy version of Sawyer I'd like to think. I hope I lived up to your expectations about the puppy's name. I'm always so nervous when it comes to names. I'm practically horrified to post the chapters about their children, lol. The ferry ride that Charlotte and Graham took was something I pulled from personal experience. I go up to the OBX often and that ferry ride in particular is beautiful. They'll probably do it again sometime.**

**MagicalNaley23****: You're so right. Graham's dad is very down to earth. I wish I'd had time to include the Charlotte/Mr. McFarland portion in last chapter cause it really shows just how much of a genuine guy he is. It'll ****be something I hit on in future chapters, I'm sure. Yes, Charlotte certainly hit the jackpot when it comes to her "future" in-laws. Both Crawford and Lane are great additions to her life, I think. Roaming the streets of NC (not SC) was fun to write. It probably worked out better in my head than it did on paper but I'm glad you liked it.**

**blurrystars****: Yeah, a lot of people didn't pick up on Charlotte getting Graham puppy. I tried to allude to it but no one seemed to pick up on, lol. I'm the sure sign does look really good, especially if Peyton had anything to do with it. I'm sure I'll have it pop back into the story at some point. The conversation between Mrs. McFarland and Charlotte was something I found incredibly important. For Mrs. McFarland to know how to deal with Graham's job is something I know will be important for Charlotte in future chapters...maybe someone she can seek guidance and support in.**

**kmm1940****: It means so much to know that you think this story is realistic. That is one the greatest compliments (I think) a writer can receive. Thanks!**

**sarah****: I appreciate the words of encouragement. Sorry I couldn't update last night. Maybe this one was worth the wait?**

**Review Please!**


	13. Hearts Racing

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 13: Hearts Racing**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to One Tree Hill. Nothing. But PLEASE, someone, anyone...name the new baby, Charlotte, if it's a girl!**

**A/N: So if any of you have been reading my profile updates you'll know that I was on a writing skid, so I apologize for the wait. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and enjoyed the holidays with their friends and family! It's the first day of the New Year and I hope everyone started it off happy and healthy. Enjoy the new chapter, guys!**

**OTHOTH**

For most of her life, Charlotte sat on the sidelines of the annual Coast Guard sponsored Diligence Dash 5k. For most of her life, Charlotte volunteered by handing out waters or registration packets. For most of her life, she'd been rather athletic. Her father had passed down his skill and coordination but when it came to long distance running, that just wasn't her thing. It wasn't that she couldn't do it. If she really wanted to, she could push herself to do anything. But running for the sake of running wasn't her typical exercise routine. She hadn't participated in the Diligence Dash since she was in high school.

Charlotte nervously waited in the N-Z line to get her registration number and looked over to the adjacent queue of people and saw Graham looking back to her with a smile. She bit her lip and started to shake her head. She couldn't believe she was doing this.

"You're gonna be fine. I'll be next to you the whole time." Graham nodded his head toward her and took a step forward as the line moved.

"Get ready to come in last." Charlotte laughed and looked around the to buff and super in shape Coasties and other runners around them.

Shrugging, Graham shook his head, "I'm okay with that."

He didn't have to be so sweet and so nonsensical about it all. She knew that he was a competitor at heart. He liked to win just as much as the rest of them. But somehow Charlotte could tell that this was something Graham didn't have to win or do well in. Just by looking at him she could tell that he was doing this to do it _with_ her.

Charlotte took a step forward as her line moved and she took a deep breath to settle her nerves. A year ago she'd been the one sitting behind the table passing out registration packets, single, and unaware of who was about to walk into her life. And now she was feet away from a man she'd given a simple registration packet too; a man she'd fallen desperately and hopelessly in love with.

"Name?"

Knocked out of her thoughts, Charlotte looked to the worker with narrow eyes and shook her head.

The blonde volunteer only raised her eyebrows with the same question, "Name?"

"Sawyer. Come on."

The twenty five year old didn't crack a smile considering she was trying to prove a point. When she'd heard that she was working the Diligence Dash without her partner in crime this year, she'd been less than thrilled. Who was she going to have margaritas with afterwords? Yes, there was always Ben but he was running in the dumb thing too. Sawyer was the odd man out.

Sawyer was about to ask her name again but Charlotte rolled her eyes, "Charlotte Scott."

Smiling, Sawyer thumbed through the packets and found the one she was looking for, "Here you go."

Charlotte more or less snatched her packet from Sawyer and sighed, "Thanks."

In a very sarcastic tone, Sawyer smiled, "Run well."

Waving her hand in response, Charlotte walked toward the starting line and saw Graham talking with a few of his buddies. Graham turned to her when he saw her coming closer, "Sawyer hold up the line?"

"Yeah, you know how she is." Charlotte laughed and tore open her packet. She pulled out the contents of the bag and started looking through the mass of paperwork. Nobody needed all the extra info they gave out and Charlotte tried to fish out her number.

"There it is." Graham pointed at her number and reached for it. "Here." He looked at her with a smile and a laugh, "This is your registration number. You peel it off..." He started to strip off the paper and looked down to her, "...and stick it on." Graham placed the adhesive side to Charlotte's stomach and used his fingers to made sure the edges were flat.

Charlotte couldn't hide the flutter in her belly and she started to blush almost instantly. It wasn't just his touch though, he'd been doing exactly what she'd done when they first met. "I know how to do this, you know?"

"I know." He nodded as he leaned toward her. "Just thought you'd want a reminder." Graham kissed her quickly and looked into those captivating brown eyes of hers. He didn't say anything and neither did she, but they didn't need words.

"Graham?"

Hearing his name, Graham turned and saw Ben walking over to them. "Hey, man."

Charlotte looked over Ben's clothes and smiled, "Guess Sawyer didn't get mad at you this time?"

Ben looked down to his orange juice free shirt and laughed, "No, she did. She just didn't throw orange juice. She gave me hard time at the registration line."

"Tell me about." Charlotte laughed and nodded.

"So you gonna hang back with me, Charlotte? Let the over-achievers pull their hamstrings while we walk it out and finish strong?" Ben looked at the almost twenty four year old and smiled. "It's the best way to do it."

Glancing to Graham, Charlotte shrugged and turned to Ben, "I don't know. I'm gonna see how it goes. I might end up in the back of the pack so save me a spot."

Laughing, Ben nodded and looked over his shoulder. Sawyer was slouching in her chair, fanning away the mid morning June heat. "Let me go see what O.J has to say before we start. I'll see you two at the starting line."

Charlotte and Graham watched Ben walk toward the girl who was the biggest pain in his side but the love of his life. Watching Sawyer crack a smile and roll her eyes, Charlotte looked to Graham, "You think we'll be doing this in five years? All of us, like this? You and me, and Sawyer and Ben"

In all honesty, yes. He knew they'd be doing this for years to come, but instead of saying that, he shrugged, "As long as you don't come in last." He laughed and Charlotte lightly pushed his shoulder.

She playfully cut her eyes, "Whatever."

Taking a step towards her, Graham ran his hand through his hair and sighed. "What will we be doing in five years?" He looked across their surroundings and then back to Charlotte, "I'll be running in this thing. My...second child will be on the way and...my wife will go into labor when I'm on mile two." He laughed at himself and the story he was making up. "I'll get to the hospital just in time to see a dark haired, retired pro basketball player telling me which room and where to go. I'll miss the elevator and take the stairs. Breathless and lost, a certain raspy voiced clothing designer will see me in the hall and act like a flight attendant as she shows me the way. Your mom will be by your bedside as they wheel you down the hall to labor and delivery and I'll take over from there." Graham slipped his hand over hers and brought it up his chin, "I'll kiss the inside of your wrist and tell you that I love you and that everything's gonna be okay."

Charlotte started to smile because she could see all that happening. "Some story."

"Our story."

As soon as he'd said that, Charlotte's cheeks turned a violent shade of red and she felt like a million degrees. She looked away and tried to hide the smile that was spreading across her cheeks, "When does this thing start, anyway?"

Graham checked his watch, "In about ten minutes." He watched Charlotte turn her back to him and begin to stretch. He did the same and it didn't take long until a man with a megaphone announced that all the runners needed to head to the starting line.

Charlotte could feel the nerves as she walked and calmly spoke to herself, "Okay, just breathe. Breathe."

"Runners take your mark."

Graham looked to Charlotte and gave her a nod full of confidence. She smiled back to him and aimlessly looked to the sea of runners that surrounded her. Most of them were a little older than her, some younger, but they seemed ready and excited. Before she knew it, the sound of feet pounding the pavement echoed in her ear and Charlotte realized they'd shot the starting gun.

Graham made sure he was just behind her because some of the crazy loons out there would trample anyone in their way. He wasn't going to let that happen. When the crowd started to run thin, Charlotte and Graham were comfortably jogging side by side.

"How much longer?" Charlotte looked up to her green eyed Coastie will a small laugh.

"It goes by quick. When we loop back around to Princess Street you'll start to feel it a little bit."

Charlotte didn't want to say it, but she could feel it now. "Oh, great. Looking forward to it."

They continued at an easy pace and Charlotte could see them coming up on a large crowd of people. There were plenty of people lining the streets and shouting out that they had water, bananas, Gatorade, you name it.

"Looks like you've got a gallery up here." Graham pointed and looked at Charlotte.

She knew her parents were set up by Clothes over Bro's and that was a ways away, but these people were still familiar. It was a group of her students from her sociology class.

"Go, Miss Scott!"

"There she is." One girl pointed and held up a sign they'd all made. _We love Miss Scott!_

Charlotte couldn't help but feel a little bit of extra motivation when she saw it.

"Keep it up, Miss Scott."

Graham nudged Charlotte on the side, "I told you they all love you." He nodded and smiled. He'd been to school on a handful of occasions and every single time he saw her around the students he knew she was making an impact.

Two of the boys ducked under the ropes lining the course and ran out toward Charlotte and Graham.

"You got this, Miss Scott." Brian shook his fist in trying to reaffirm his statement.

Charlie nodded, "You're a Scott. It's in the bag."

"Thanks, guys." Charlotte looked to her students with a polite smile.

"So does this mean we get bonus points?"

Laughing, Charlotte shrugged, "We'll see."

The boy who'd spoken first ran to Graham's side and patted him on the back, "Keep her going, man."

"I'll try." Graham smiled and looked down to the girl running next to him.

Saluting toward Graham, the students let the two continue with their run. The girls who were on the sideline looked to each other with eager eyes, "I want to be them."

"Me too. He's hot!"

"Me three. Miss Scott's so lucky."

The high school girls watched with envy as the couple ran down the pavement. Charlotte was breathing deeply and was trying her hardest to use her nose instead of her mouth.

Graham looked down to her with a bit of a furrowed brow, "You alright? You sound like Darth Vader over there."

She smiled while laughing, "I'm fine. I he..heard that the trick was to take deep long breaths through your nose."

"Whatever you say, Darth." He laughed and shook his head, "Your parents should be just up here on the right." The route traced through Tree Hill's streets curving it's way to Front Street and Graham tilted his head toward the right.

Charlotte saw the downtown shops coming into full view and she knew that Clothes Over Bro's wasn't too far away.

"Julian! Julian. Here they come." Brooke saw two specks running toward the store and waved at her husband to pull out his camera.

Brooke reached into a cardboard box she had sitting by the shop door and tossed a few things toward the runners, "C over B swag. It'll keep this summer heat a little more bearable."

Catching two of the sweat bands, Graham quickly pulled one over his head and looked to Charlotte, "How do I look?"

The black band was around his forehead and the white letters of Clothes Over Bro's were tilted a little caddywhompus but Graham was still cute. She looked at him with a playful smile, "Devilishly handsome." He laughed and Charlotte glanced toward the store, "Thanks, Aunt Brooke."

Both Charlotte and Graham waved to the Bakers and just beyond the corner store they saw her parents. Bennet was standing next to Nathan and cupped his hands over his mouth, "Aunt Charlotte! Hey."

"Hey, Bennet." She smiled at the boy and her parents.

Graham still had the other sweat band in his hand and knowing that Charlotte wasn't going to wear it, he used his fingers to shoot it like a rubber band toward Bennet. "Here, bud."

"Awesome." Bennet picked up the C over B sports accessory and smiled toward his aunt's boyfriend, "Thanks." The six year old started to put his band on his head, "And just so you know, you two are going _pretty_ slow. Mom and Dad ran by a _long_ time ago."

Graham laughed at Bennet's honesty, "Slow and steady wins the race."

The little boy furrowed his brow and shook his head, "I don't think so."

Haley found herself laughing at her grandson."You're doing great, guys," she smiled as Charlotte and Graham passed by and looked down to Claire as she slept in her stroller.

Charlotte looked over her shoulder and made eye contact with her young nephew and stuck her tongue out playfully when he did the same. Graham saw her and joked, "No need to taunt the kid."

"No, I know." She laughed and looked down the long line of runners who where ahead of them, "I bet Jamie and Liza finished this thing thirty minutes ago."

"Maybe."

Still laughing, Charlotte looked to Graham with a smirk, "They've been doing this kind of thing since college. Running together, I mean. Liza always told me that a couple who exercised together stayed together."

"Yeah? I can see that." He nodded toward her and for the next half mile they made their way through the downtown Tree Hill streets.

Sides burning and with heavy feet, Charlotte saw the finish line and patted Graham on the stomach, "There it is. Look, we're almost done!"

Graham couldn't help but smile at her excitement, and as they made those last strides toward the finish line, Graham felt his heart pick up with incredible intensity. He'd looked over to Charlotte and every instance of his being told him that this was how it was supposed to be. He was supposed to be next to her for a reason. Not just in the race but everything. In life when she stumbled he'd be there to reach out and help her up, when she laughed he'd laugh, her victories were his, and his, hers; they were a team. He'd known for a long time, probably since the day he'd ridiculously broken up with her, that she was it for him, but this was an ah-ha moment. Charlotte was _it_.

He'd made up that fabricated tale about five years down the road a little while ago, but as he watched her cross the finish line he knew that he hadn't made any of it up. The details, sure, but not the heart of the plot. Five years from now he was positive they'd be married with kids, probably a lot because Charlotte always mentioned she'd wanted a big family, and that was exactly how he wanted it. He wanted her, and he knew that he could make her happy.

They were each given their obligatory 'thanks for running' medals and Charlotte laughed as she slipped hers over her head, "Oh, wow. My legs feel like mush." She took a couple deep breaths and she rested her hands on her hips and turned to look at him. "We did it."

Graham swallowed his heart which was bursting at the seams and smiled, "We did, didn't we?"

They started to walk toward the coolers and she leaned into his shoulder, "It wasn't even that bad. I actually kinda had fun. I guess we'll have to make this a yearly thing, huh?"

That sounded good to him. "And I was thinking..." Graham used his thumb to point down the Riverwalk toward the restaurant with green awnings, "How about seven? That restaurant?" They were gonna celebrate their one year anniversary with more than just a 5K and Gatorade.

She thought he'd never ask. She pulled on his medal around his neck and nodded, "I'll be there." Charlotte kissed him and he kissed her back.

His hands were around her waist and he rested his forehead on hers, "I love you."

Charlotte nodded and kissed him again with a smile, "You better."

"Look at all this." Ben came across the finish line and was walking toward Charlotte and Graham. He held up the sweat bands and a few other things. He was wearing a sweat band around his head, one around his arm, and a hand towel behind his back.

"Ben!" Charlotte started laughing, "You look like the Clothes over Bro's caped crusader."

"I know, right?" He laughed and saw Sawyer walking toward them with a Gatorade bottle in her hand.

Sawyer would never grow tired of how boyish Ben was. How it didn't get on her nerves, she had no idea, but it was always different with him. "Nice outfit." She handed him his Gatorade with a laugh and a quick kiss, "Here."

Ben took a swig a looked to his friends and girlfriends, "So what's the plan? Mexican?"

Graham patted his empty stomach, "Fine with me."

Sawyers eyes bugged just like her mother's did whenever Peyton got excited or startled by something, "Aw, yes! I knew this day wouldn't suck."

Everyone laughed at Sawyer and they started to walk towards Clothes over Bro's to get their cars. Charlotte felt Graham's hand take hold of hers and she felt those pesky butterflies kick in. Last year it was only Charlotte and Sawyer who were headed to lunch, but this time they had company. Last year she'd looked back toward the finish line thinking of the guy who'd caught her off guard with his charm, and now that guy was next to her. It felt good. It felt right.

**OTHOTH**

The early evening air was softy blowing through Charlotte's hair and she felt herself fall backwards into the passenger seat as Sawyer shifted gears. Sawyer was yapping away about something about the song they were listening to but Charlotte wasn't listening. Her mind was on Graham.

"Hello? I said where do you want me to drop you off? The restaurant, by the Henrietta? Where to?"

So scratch that. Sawyer wasn't absently talking about the song they were listening to. "Oh, um...just drive down Market Street..." Charlotte glanced at her watch and knew that she was early, "You can let me out at the dock. I can walk."

"Some date." Sawyer furrowed her brow, "...making you walk to the restaurant."

Charlotte rolled her eyes, "It's fine. And it's not like I'm walking a mile in the snow. It's beautiful out tonight." She looked toward the setting sun and the sherbet colors that filled the sky.

As she slowed down and downshifted, Sawyer looked at her cousin, "But I still don't know why he's not picking you up?"

Shrugging, Charlotte shook her head, "I don't know, just cause." Laughing, Charlotte made a pouty face, "But don't get _too _worried. I won't call you when it's done to get a ride home. I'm sure I'll be riding with him."

A mischievous grin started spread over Sawyer's face, "Bow chicka bow..."

"Oh, stop it." Charlotte cut her eyes.

"Whatever, Char. You know _that's_ gonna happen." Sawyer let out a laugh and pulled down Market Street and slowed the car. "But anyways...you kids have fun and like I always say. Drink a little. Flirt..."

Charlotte knew this and she nodded, "...a lot. And if he kisses me, kiss him back." Charlotte and Graham were miles past Sawyer's first date rules but Charlotte had memorized them anyway.

Like a proud mom, Sawyer nodded, "I've taught you well."

Opening up the door, Charlotte rolled her eyes, "See you later, Saw."

"Bye." Sawyer cranked up the stereo and sped off on her merry ole' way.

Charlotte turned and walked toward the water and she loved the noise her heels made as they clacked against the wooden planks. She laughed and winced at herself as she walked though, her legs were pretty sore from running that morning.

Graham had been walking around the Diligence as time ticked away because like Charlotte, he'd gotten downtown early. With his hand in his pocket, Graham was fumbling with the small black box that held Charlotte's anniversary gift. He looked across the Riverwalk and and about fifty yards away, sitting on a bench, he saw her. She was wearing a blue dress and she was looking out across the water. Graham let go of the box and let it fall secure in his pocket and he started to walk her way.

Her back was to him and when he made it so that he was just a few feet away he cleared his throat, "That seat taken?"

Turning around, she smiled and shook her head, "Hi."

Graham sat down and Charlotte showed off an embarrassed smile. He arched his brow, "What?"

Her cheeks turned a little red and she bit her lip as she reached down to press on her calf, "My legs are _so_ sore. It's like this morning just caught up with me." She laughed and shook her head, "Pretty pathetic, huh?"

"Nah. It's normal." He looked across the table and shrugged, "Unless you're an avid runner I think anyone would be sore after that. I am."

"You are?"

He looked at her with a cute grin, "About as sore as the time my boom nailed me in the chest and knocked me off the boat."

"I'm never gonna live that down, am I?" Charlotte flashed him a crooked smile and a raised brow.

"Probably not."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and reached in her purse, "Well here." She pulled out a small white box with a simple red ribbon, "Since we're on the subject of your sailboat." Charlotte slid the box in Graham's direction and motioned for him to open it.

He picked up the box and looked at her, "You always gonna get me something to do with my boat?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled, "Probably."

"Here. Open yours, too" Graham reached into his pocket and slid the small black box to her.

At first glance, Charlotte's heart flew into her throat because she couldn't help but assume. But it wasn't, the box was rectangular.

"And no, those have nothing to do with my boat."

Charlotte laughed, "You mean I don't get personalized sails or anything?"

"Now that you mention it..." Graham shook his head and laughed, "Nah, no sails this time."

"In five years?" She gave him a hopeful look. Charlotte wasn't so sure she'd ever really want personalized sails, but it would be a nice thought.

Graham nodded, "Five years sounds good to me. I think you'll have mastered sailing by then."

"And if we're going by what you said this morning, we'll need a bigger boat." Charlotte arched her brow, "Two kids by then. Poor Banyan won't hold us all."

"We'll manage." Graham looked out across the water and then tapped the little white box against the wood and glanced to Charlotte, "So what's in here anyway?" Charlotte withheld any information and she watched him pull the ribbon off and open up the small box. Graham picked up the circular brass object and saw that it was engraved on the back. _Lt. McFarland. USCG_. He thought it was a pocket watch at first but when he opened it he saw the four cardinal points and the dial turning toward North. "This is great, Charlotte."

She had bitten her lip and winced, "I didn't think about you not always being a Lieutenant though, so when you move up in rank then I guess I'll have to get it redone, but..."

He could tell that she was about to ramble so he shook his head, "No, this is perfect." Graham held up the old antique compass and admired it. "It'll be a nice reminder of now. And I actually really needed one of these. Thank you."

"So what will you be next, anyway? Your next rank?"

"Lieutenant Commander."

Charlotte raised her eyebrows, "Hmm, Lieutenant _Commander_ McFarland? Sounds kinda nice."

"One of these days." He looked into her warm brown eyes and pointed to her box. "Those might expire if you don't open them."

Charlotte looked at the little box and laughed. It had to be earrings. Graham was just pulling her leg. She cracked open the box and looked up to him when she saw a glimmer of silver. "These expire?"

"No."

She laughed at him again and opened up the box so she could get her first good look. "Gr..Graham." Charlotte saw the dangling drop earrings and looked up to him, "They're are beautiful."

"You like 'em?"

Charlotte was already taking off her current pair and nodded, "Absolutely. Thank you."

Once she had her new pair on she took a deep breath and looked at Graham hoping he might say they looked good. He simply smiled, "You're beautiful."

In response, Charlotte blushed and shook her head. She got up off the seat and walked toward Graham and tugged on his arm. He got up and they walked down the Riverwalk. When she leaned into him they stopped walking and both watched the calm water of the cape splash against the bank. Graham pulled out his compass and clicked it open and shut before turning toward her, "Getting hungry?"

"A little bit, yeah."

"Alright, come on. I know a place." He put his hand on the small of her back and they walked toward that restaurant with green awnings and good macaroni and cheese and prime rib.

**OTHOTH**

Three weeks later, Charlotte sat quietly on her bedroom floor as she tried to wrap birthday presents on the uncomfortable hardwood. Charlotte had done a masterful job on the Stack 'N Spray Tub Fountain but the singing Color and Shape Monkey was giving her a hard time. It wasn't that the box was oddly shaped but every time she touched the thing it started playing loud music and squawking about some missing banana.

"Shh." Charlotte tired to hush the thing because Graham was still asleep. She couldn't find the off button and she swore that it was getting louder and louder. "Please stop." Charlotte quickly pulled a thick sheet of paper over the toy but the wrapping hardly helped stifle the toy's cries.

Graham peeked his eyes open and while he was confused at first, when he heard Charlotte rustling around with paper and ribbon he knew what was going on. He slowly sat up and used his palm to brush over his eyebrow as he yawned.

Looking up, Charlotte frowned, "I'm sorry. I couldn't find the off button."

"It's alright." Graham shook his head and yawned once more. "You think Claire will like those?"

Charlotte put the gifts on the dresser and nodded, "I think one year olds like most things. Jamie and Liza might kill me though. That monkey thing is a lot more annoying than I thought." She climbed onto the bed and laid down next to Graham. She looked at the clock on the beside table and then to him, "We're supposed to be over there about eleven."

"Liza's family is gonna be there right?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled,"Yeah, I'll have to introduce you to them all. Her mom and dad are really sweet. I like her brothers, too. Patrick's the oldest and he and his wife, Melissa, have three kids. Charles and Margaret have a two year old little girl so it'll be a full house, but I'm sure it will be like most other family occasions. Eventful and exciting. Jamie and Liza are kinda prone to accidents so who knows what'll happen? We might come of there with cake all over us."

"It'll be fun."

"Yeah." Charlotte rested her head against Graham's bare chest and dug her check into his warm skin. "You smell really good."

He laughed out loud and draped his arm around her side, "I haven't even taken a shower yet."

"I know, but..." Charlotte shrugged and inhaled deeply, "...really. You smell so good."

Graham laughed and leaned toward her to nuzzle his nose close to her, "And you smell like...wrapping paper."

Kinking her eyebrow, Charlotte laughed with a sly smile, "Sexy, right?"

"Mmm-huh." Graham was looking down at her and nodded, "My old sweats, glasses, messy hair, and the sweet scent of wrapping paper. I don't know what more a guy could ask for."

Charlotte started to laugh but when he leaned down and kissed her she was pleasantly surprised, "Oh, so you're being serious?"

"I'm always serious." He kissed the side of her mouth and then the other.

"Graham, we've got to start getting ready soon. I need to take a shower. You..." Charlotte closed her eyes when he kissed her jaw line, "...you need to take a shower."

"Alright." Graham got off the bed and pulled Charlotte up with him.

"Wha...Graham!"

"So we'll take showers." He shrugged and walked toward the bathroom with her straddling his waist.

Sometimes Charlotte forgot how charming her boyfriend was. Those green eyes, his smile, the grip he had on her; she was powerless. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him as they walked toward the shower. He was able to kick the door shut with his foot and they both started laughing.

"Hey?" Sawyer peeked her head in the bedroom, "Where's the wrapping paper? I can't find it." Sawyer waited for a response but heard nothing and then looked toward the bed and realized the room was empty. She noticed that the paper, scissors, and tape were by the foot of the bed and she narrowed her eyes, "Of course you take it all without saying anything." Sawyer scooped up the supplies she needed and heard something in the bathroom.

"Graham! You're getting water everywhere." Laughter came out from the crack under the door and Sawyer's eyes got wide. They were totally doing it. Sawyer quietly walked out of Charlotte's room and started to smile to herself. She was going to give them a hard time about this later. Teasing Charlotte about anything that consisted of the S. E. X. was hysterically funny.

A good forty five minutes had passed and when Charlotte and Graham emerged from the brown eyed girl's room Sawyer was sipping on a not so hot cup of coffee. "Well, nice to see you guys up and at 'em. And did you notice anything weird about the shower? When I took mine I swear it sounded like our pipes were moaning."

Charlotte turned fire engine red and she shook her head, "No, nope. I didn't hear a thing."

Graham had learned long ago that Sawyer was the Queen B of embarrassing Charlotte, but he could poke fun on behalf of Charlotte, too. "You know what's funny. A few days ago at the apartment I was taking a shower and noticed the same thing."

"Oh, touche." Sawyer shook her head with a laugh. Apparently last week she and Ben hadn't been as quiet as they thought.

Putting her purse securely over her shoulder, Charlotte sighed and then looked to Graham, "Well I'm ready for ice cream and cake so..."

"By all means go. I'll see you there later. Jamie knows I hate getting places early."

Graham opened the front door for Charlotte and they walked out to his car. Jamie's house wasn't too far and it didn't take long to get there. A giant balloon in the shape of the number one was tied to the mailbox and Charlotte felt the car stop as Graham parked.

"Donald, Eleanor, Patrick, Melissa, Charles, and Margaret." Graham nodded and looked to Charlotte, "I got it."

"Impressive."

They both got out of the car and started to walk towards the front door. Charlotte knew it would be unlocked and when they walked inside her older brother's home she and Graham where met by a blue eyed six year old.

"Graham, Graham. Come here. I got this remote controlled truck. It's awesome. Come on." Bennet tugged on Graham's arm pulling him toward the backyard.

Charlotte watched as Graham and Bennet went off to play and she made her way to the kitchen. Nathan was standing by the kitchen sink pouring himself a glass of tea when Charlotte came in.

"Hey, Char."

"Hi, Dad." Charlotte put the two presents on the kitchen table and gave her dad a hug. She looked around and then to her father, "Where is everyone? Where's the birthday girl?"

Nathan pointed to the ceiling, "Your mom and Liza went to change Claire. And Jamie...is somewhere around here."

"I guess you wanted out of that?" She laughed and bumped into her father's side, "How many times did you put my diapers on backwards?"

Cutting his eyes, Nathan shook his head, "That was a one time thing. I only put your diaper on backwards _once_ and your clothes on backwards _once_."

Footsteps echoed through the hallways and the blue eyed Mrs. Scott smiled, "Hey, I thought I heard a car pull up." Liza walked into the kitchen with Claire in her arms and handed her to Charlotte.

"Hi, Claire Bear. Are you one today?"

Liza took a deep breath and looked to her blonde haired little one, "It's crazy. One year old already."

"I know." Charlotte nodded and leaned her cheek toward Claire's head.

Haley and Jamie walked into the kitchen and Charlotte looked to her mom with a smile, "So Dad said he only put my clothes on backwards _once_."

Jamie furrowed his brow and glanced to their father, "Dad, come on. I was ten and still helping you figure out how get Charlotte's clothes on right."

"Honey? Once?" Haley bit her lip, "Maybe every _once_ in a while..."

Everyone in the kitchen started to laugh and then Jamie suggested they go sit outside. Nathan and Haley saw Graham playing with Bennet in the backyard and they waved to the man who fit nicely within their family.

"So..." Charlotte sat down in one of the chairs and kept her hold on Claire firm, "When is your family getting here, Liza?"

"Any minute, I suspect."

"Dad! Watch Graham drive this!" Bennet called out for Jamie and pointed to his aunt's boyfriend manning his controls. Graham carefully steered the toy through the backyard and aimed carefully so he could made the truck ramp one of the tree roots. Bennet's eyes got wide as his car lifted off the ground, "Isn't that awesome!"

"Pretty cool, bud."

Graham handed the controls to Bennet and told him he should give it a try. The boy looked up to the man with sweet eyes. "You think you could get me something?"

Nodding, Graham answered, "Sure. What do you need? More earplugs?"

Bennet laughed and shook his head, "You know that baseball hat you wear?"

"The Coast Guard one?"

"Yeah. You think I could get one of those? I'd like it a lot if we could have the same hat."

The sweet tone in the boy's voice and the sincerity in Bennet's eyes melted Graham's heart. "I think I can manage that."

"Really!"

"Sure." Graham nodded and then looked over toward the group of adults and felt his heart melt even more. He'd seen Charlotte with Claire before. He knew she looked good, natural, holding a baby but this was different. He saw that Bennet was playing with his car again and Graham knew he needed to do something. He couldn't just keep sitting around watching Charlotte and only _think _about their future. Graham needed to take a proactive step. It was a quick and spontaneously overwhelming feeling that he had to act on. Looking at his phone, Graham crinkled his brow and then turned to Bennet, "Hey man. I gotta go."

"What? Already?"

"Yeah, it's the base. Duty calls." Graham slid his phone in his pocket and put his hand on Bennet's shoulder, "Keep tearing it up out here, though. You can show me next time."

Graham could see that Bennet was less than happy that he was leaving, and he hated lying but he needed to come up with something to get him out of there. Taking a deep breath, Graham walked toward the adults and put on his best poker face. Charlotte was still sitting in the chair with Claire so he knelt down to her level, "I just got a message from the base. I gotta go. There's some emergency they need me for."

"What? Is everything okay?" Charlotte frowned and stiffened in her chair.

"Yeah. I'm sure everything will be alright, but I gotta go."

"Oh, gosh. Well I hope it's nothing too serious." Haley winced and shook her head.

Graham nodded and turned back to Charlotte. He took a hold of one of Claire's little hands and smiled, "Happy Birthday, Claire. Eat an extra piece of cake for me."

Charlotte watched him start to get out of his crouch and she reached for his arm, "Hey? Be safe, okay."

"I will." Graham leaned down and kissed her. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Graham got to his feet and sighed, "I'm sorry about this, and I'm sorry I can't stick around to meet your family, Liza."

She shook her head and waved him off, "No, no. Don't worry about it. You go do what you gotta do."

After saying goodbye to Haley, Graham shook Nathan's hand and nodded at Charlotte's father. He turned to walk away and there was a sharp pain of regret burying itself withing Graham's chest for lying to them all like that. Maybe it would come around and bite him in the ass later, but right now he knew that he needed to be four and a half hours northeast. Graham quickly got in his car and knew that he would reach his parents' house around three thirty.

So eleven changed to twelve, twelve to one, he stopped to get gas and then two sped past three, and at three forty nine he pulled into his parents' driveway. His mom's car was gone but he knew his dad would be home.

Nearly sprinting inside the door, Graham walked into the home and called out, "Dad? Hello? Anyone here?" There was no answer but a wild guess told him his father would be working outside in the shed. Graham went out the back door and down the steps toward his father's workshop, and when he heard the faint buzz of the radio, he knew his dad was in there. He walked into a room that smelled of wood chips and turpentine. "Dad?"

Mitchell was sanding down the arm of a rocking chair and turned around when he heard something. "Graham? What are you doing here?" Mr. McFarland took off his safety glasses and smiled.

Picking up a chisel, his son fumbled with the tool and shrugged, "Where's Mom? I need to ask her something."

"She said something about going to see Lane at the store but she'll probably be home soon. Is it anything I can help you with?"

Graham took a deep breath, put the chisel down, and nodded, "Do you know where Grandma's ring is?"

Mitchell took off his gloves and walked toward his son with a smile, "You know? I might have an idea." The two McFarland men walked toward the house and Graham was eager with anticipation. His father turned to him as they were walking upstairs and toward the master bedroom, "I'm not one hundred percent sure, but I would imagine it's in the lock box she keeps hidden in the closet."

"Do you know the code?"

"I think it's your birthdays." Mr. McFarland nodded to himself and turned on the closet light when he opened the door. "It's in here somewhere." He started going through things and Graham watched hoping they could find it. "Here we go. Let's see if this works." Mitchell squinted as he punched in the numbers and simultaneously said them out loud., "One, zero, zero, one, zero, nine." October, January, September, it had to work.

"Did it work?" Graham looked to his dad wondering if anything happened. He didn't hear a click or anything so he figured the months of the kids' birthdays was wrong.

"Let's try the days." Mitchell reset the numbers and scrolled until he got it to read _140226_. There was no click and the box didn't open, "Nope. That's not it either."

Running his fingers through his hair, Graham reached for his phone. He dialed his mom's number and waited for her to respond. "I got her machine."

"Let me try another." Mitchell put in Anne's birthday but that didn't work either.

"Mitch? Is that Graham's car in the driveway?" Mrs. McFarland walked inside the home with a curious look. That white Tahoe resembled Graham's perfectly.

"Mom! We're up here."

From his voice Anne knew that her son was indded home but she had no idea what the occasion was. When she walked into the bedroom she saw her husband and oldest boy blankly staring at the lock box. "Now why are you two trying to get into that?"

Without hesitation, Graham turned to his mom with a nod."I'm gonna ask Charlotte to marry me, Mom. I need Grandma's ring."

The sheer shock was more than Mrs. McFarland could comprehend. "Oh my goodness. Well why didn't you say so?" She walked over to the box and started to fix the combination. Anne looked over to her husband with a smile, "Mitch, it's our anniversary, surely you tried that?" The box clicked open and she pulled out a small black box. "I always told myself that before I gave this to you, I'd ask you if you were sure about it. That you were positive that the woman you were with was without a doubt the woman you would marry and start a family with..." Anne felt herself grow emotional and she held out the small box, "But it's Charlotte. I don't need to ask."

Graham felt his stomach flip when his mom placed the box in his hand and he nodded as he repeated what she'd said, "It's Charlotte." The box felt heavy in his hand and the twenty-seven year old opened it slowly. His breath caught and his heart started to race because when he stared at the ring he knew what he thought all along was going to come true.

He really was gonna marry Charlotte Scott.

**OTHOTH**

**So I think you guys know what comes next. Any of y'all wanna guess how it happens? For those of you who what to see Graham asking Nathan a certain question...it's already in Little Moments but I'll probably add it in the next chapter to keep everyone happy.**

**My reviewers are amazing! Thanks for making my long hours worth it!**

**LP4ever: I can't asnwer your question about Sawyer and Ben right now. You'll find out what happens to them in her story (assuming I can post that sometime) and in this story.**

**Sarah: As I said above, next chapter will likely include Graham asking Nathan permission.**

**BDavis: I'm glad you liked last chapter and that I included Will/someone from Charlotte's past. It's always fun to tie the stories together with characters and past events. **

**Please Review!**


	14. Down on One Knee

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 14: Down on One Knee**

**Disclaimer: You can give me a dorky Julian high five for my creativity but OTH does not belong to me.**

**A/N: So here it is. A chapter I think most of you have been waiting for. The feedback was excellent last chapter. I'm sorry I couldn't post sooner. Hopefully you guys will like how I have things play out. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Graham was pacing. Pacing in his living room with a lump in this throat the size of the entire Atlantic Ocean. Never ending, and plenty deep. He was holding onto the little black box and swallowed hard. He'd been sitting on that ring for the last two weeks but it was now or never. He knew he didn't need to wait. He couldn't.

"Mr. Scott, I...I was wanting to know if I could marry your daughter?"

"Lame!" Ben looked up from the sofa and threw a piece of popcorn at Graham. "And move, you're blocking the game." Ben was more interested in the Braves, Nationals game than Graham's practice round for facing Charlotte's dad.

Graham furrowed his brow. Sawyer was obviously rubbing off on his best friend. Clearing his throat once more, Graham stopped pacing and looked at his his fellow Coastie while he imagined Mr. Scott. "I love your daughter. I'm in love with Charlotte and I'd like to marry her."

Ben scooted up the couch and put down the popcorn bowl, "Look, you're over thinking this. I mean Nathan likes you. Charlotte's whole family loves you. There's no way he's gonna say no."

Even if Ben was right, it didn't mean Graham wasn't nervous. How could he not be? "I don't know, this is a lot more stressful that I thought it was gonna be." Looking at Ben, Graham narrowed his eyes, "And just wait till you have to do this. It's not as easy as it looks. No matter how good your relationship is."

"Right, sure, okay. Well, I don't see myself settling down soon. I mean hell, Graham, you and Charlotte have only been dating a year."

They were in month thirteen to be more precise but Graham nodded, "I know, and that's what worries me. What if her dad thinks we're moving too fast."

"He won't. I think everyone in this town knows you two are gonna get married. You just haven't asked yet." Ben nodded and dug his hand deep into the popcorn bowl. "Now please...move over so I can see the rest of the game."

The green eyed Coastie stood aimlessly in the living room clutching the little black box his eyes were fixated on. He was gonna ask her to marry him. He was gonna get Charlotte Scott for forever.

"Graham!" Ben furrowed his brow and shook his head, "Come on, man. Move!"

"Sorry." It had come out in a jumbled rush and Graham walked out of the way and to his bedroom. He was holding that little box tightly in his hands and he'd been hiding the ring in various places over the last two weeks. Why? Just in case. Just in case Charlotte happened to go through his sock drawer or wherever else he might put it. Graham wanted to mix it up and keep her guessing. Not that she was. She wasn't. It was _just in case_.

This time he picked the coat pocket of his formal USCG uniform. It would be safe there.

Graham walked out of his bedroom and toward the door.

"Hey?" Ben turned away from the television and nodded, "If Nathan says no, meet me at Tric tonight for beers."

Graham took a deep breath and shook his head, "I hope not." He laughed as he opened up the front door of their apartment and felt a tsunami of nerves hit him with the fresh air. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad? They were having a guys afternoon after all. Nathan, Jamie, Bennet, and Graham were all going out on Nathan's boat to do a little bit of fishing, so they'd at least be having fun.

But before they started reeling in snapper, Graham had to go pick up Charlotte. The girls were having a day to themselves while the boys had theirs but everyone was going to meet at Nathan and Haley's first.

Graham got in his Tahoe and while he drove toward Sawyer and Charlotte's house, he kept asking himself the same question over and over. What if he says no? What was Graham going to do if Nathan said no? The Coastie hadn't really thought about what that would mean. Would they have to date longer? Would he have to break up with Charlotte? He didn't want any of that to happen. Graham wanted Nathan to say yes. He needed him to say yes.

He'd made it to the little house and his feet were leading him toward the front door without much thought. His mind was elsewhere, running it's course of "what if's" and "how's" when Charlotte opened the door.

"I thought I heard you pull up."

Graham had been stirred from his trance and he looked to the brown eyed beauty with a smile, "Hey."

"Hi."Charlotte held open the door and the twosome made their way to the living room.

Their six month old puppy bound up off the floor and hustled over to Graham. "Hey, Mack." Graham ran his hand over the pup's golden coat and patted him on the back.

"So how was the game going? Was Ben being obnoxious about the score?" Charlotte walked towards the kitchen waiting for Graham's reply as she finished the last bite of her turkey fold over. She was waiting for him to tell her all about the Braves and Nationals game. Charlotte knew that he and Ben had been watching but Graham wasn't answering. "Graham?"

"Huh? What?"

Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "I was wondering how Ben was taking the game. I was flipping through he channels when I was eating lunch and saw that the Braves were down by four." She walked back to the living room with a funny smile, "Was he raising hell back at the apartment?"

"Uh..." In all honesty Graham had no idea. He'd been more preoccupied thinking about this impending fishing trip with his hopefully, soon to be father-in-law. "I...uh, I don't know. Probably."

Noticing his spacey demeanor, Charlotte took a few steps toward him and reached out to touch his arm, "What's with you today? You're acting so weird."

"N...nothing, nothing. I'm fine." He shook his head and knew he needed to get it together. "I think I'm just excited to go fishing." Graham knew that it sounded a little lame but it was the best he could come up with.

"You know Bennet's been talking about it for the last two weeks."

"Yeah." Graham nodded and smiled, "He's a fun kid."

They both turned to see Sawyer and Ben's dog lazily walk towards them.

"Oh no. We better go."

Graham laughed and furrowed his brow, "What?"

"It's Trout. He has really, really bad gas. I told Sawyer not to feed him leftovers but..."

A whiff hit Graham's nostrils and he cringed, "Ugh..."

"I know, let's get outta here." Charlotte laughed and pulled Graham's arm toward the front door, "Come on." She looked down to the dog by her boyfriends feet and smiled, "Bye, Mack. We'll be back later."

Graham rubbed his hand over the golden retriever's ears, "See ya, bud. Keep the house in order." He looked to their dog and nodded with a smile. Graham turned to follow Charlotte out the front door and saw her looking at him. "What?"

She bit her lip and shook her head.

"Wait? What did I do?"

Charlotte shrugged as they started walking down the pathway to Graham's car, "Just...being you."

Looking at her with a boyish grin, Graham raised his brow, "And that's a good thing, right?"

Leaning into his side, Charlotte looked up to him and kissed him quickly on the corner of his mouth, "It's a very good thing."

Graham felt himself smile with that and he opened Charlotte's door when they got to his car. It didn't take long to get to her parents house. Tree Hill was a small town; nothing ever took long to get to.

Charlotte saw that Liza's car was in the driveway. "I guess everyone's here." She opened her door and realized that Graham was still sitting in the driver's seat, "Come on, slowpoke."

"I'll be right there, I gotta get something." He nodded to her and unfastened his seat belt. Charlotte started walking to the house and Graham looked to the backseat and saw the hat he'd promised Bennet.

As soon as Charlotte opened the front door she was quickly met by her young nephew. "Bennet! Ah you've gotten so big!" Charlotte glanced at the little boy who looked just like her brother and shook her head in disbelief. He really was getting big. It had only been a week since she'd seen him but still, that kid was sprouting up really quickly. He was six years old and growing up fast.

The little boy gave his aunt a goofy smile and narrowed his eyes, "Where's Graham?"

Charlotte turned to look outside and smiled, "He's coming."

Bennet stood in the doorway and saw Graham walking up. He waved at him and the older man waved back.

When Graham walked inside he arched his brow and looked to Bennet, "So I gotcha something."

"Did you get it? Did you get it?" Bennet had been asking Graham to get him a United States Coast Guard hat and he was very curious as to what his aunt's boyfriend had for him.

Graham laughed at Bennet's eagerness and nodded. He pulled his hand from behind his back and displayed the navy blue hat. "It's all yours."

"Oh man!" Bennet took the hat and fastened it on his head. Charlotte and Graham both smiled at him and then he ran for the kitchen.

Charlotte walked with Graham as they followed Bennet and she turned to her boyfriend with a warm smile, "Thanks for getting that for him. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to." Graham nodded his head and they made their way to the rest of her family.

"Mom! Dad! Look!" The young boy had run to the kitchen and pointed at his head.

Jamie smiled, "So does this mean you're gonna keep us safe on the water today?"

Charlotte and Graham walked into the kitchen and she hopped up on the counter, "Yeah Bennet, you gonna keep everyone safe?"

Bennet smiled widely and ran his hands over his hat, "Uh-huh."

Nathan laughed, "So you'll jump in after me if I fall overboard?"

Grimacing, Bennet shook his head and pointed to Graham. "He will."

All the adults laughed. It was what Graham did for a living after all. So Bennet was right, if someone was suited to jump in after anyone, it was Graham.

Nathan looked to his son then Graham, "You guys ready to go?"

Bennet raised his arms, "Yes! Yes! Let's go!" Nathan wasn't directing his question to his grandson but Bennet couldn't help but answer. The boy walked over to Jamie and pulled his dad by the arm, "Come on Dad, let's go."

Laughing Jamie nodded, "Alright. Alright. We're going." He smirked when Liza walked over to him.

"Be careful." She ran her arm over Jamie's and squeezed it lightly, "Okay?"

"We will." Jamie placed a sweet kiss on Liza's cheek, "Love you."

"Love you too."

After he'd kissed Liza goodbye Jamie walked towards his mom, "And you." He looked at the little girl in his mother's arms, "You be good for your mom." Jamie blew a raspberry on Claire's cheek and she laughed.

"Dad! Let's go!" Bennet was standing in the middle of the room with his arms crossed in front of his chest.

Jamie walked by and ruffled his son's hair, "Okay, we're going!"

Liza saw her two boys walk away and couldn't help call out, "Don't forget to put sunscreen on him!" She wasn't sure if they had heard her or if Jamie knew where in the bag she'd packed it, so she walked after them.

Graham looked to Charlotte and smiled. His emerald green eyes met her deep chocolate ones, "I'll see you when we get back."

"Have fun." Charlotte nodded and watched him walk away. She turned to her mom and held her arms out, "My turn. Pass her on over." With her arms out, Charlotte motioned for her mom to pass over her young niece.

Haley did as her daughter wanted and saw that Nathan was checking his pockets to make sure he had his wallet and phone. She saw his keys on the counter and picked them up and handed them to him, "You might need these."

"I was just looking for those."

She smiled and walked over to him, "You don't know what you'd do without me."

Wasn't that the truth? Nathan nodded and smiled.

Charlotte whispered in Claire's ear, "So this is the part where they kiss." She couldn't help but laugh when both her parents shot looks at her, "What? You know I'm right."

Nathan thought about it and it was true. He waited for Haley to turn back around and leaned down to kiss her, "Bye."

"Bye." She watched him start to walk away, "Let Graham drive the boat if the water gets rough."

Charlotte smiled when she heard her mom say that. She'd always been proud of Graham for doing what he did, but it was an extra little bonus when her parents or Jamie or anyone else recognized it. It meant everything for her family to like him. Charlotte loved him. She saw herself married to him one day.

Funny thing; Charlotte had no idea that day would come so fast.

**OTHOTH**

The girls had been shopping for the last hour, and for thirty of those minutes Claire had been sound asleep. Scheduling a shopping excursion during an afternoon nap always had its pluses.

"What about this one, Charlotte?" Haley looked to her daughter and then the blouse she had in her hand, "I think it would be really cute with that skirt you have."

Charlotte looked at her mom and then to her sister in law for some advice, "What do you think, Liza?"

"I think it's cute." Liza nodded, "Very teacher appropriate."

Charlotte agreed, "Yeah. I'll try it on." She looked at her mom and held out her hand. "Let me add it to my pile."

The three women and baby roamed the department store and when Haley stopped to make small talk with a old friend of hers Liza and Charlotte were left to fend for themselves.

"Is this too blue?" Liza looked down to the cute summer dress she was holding and shrugged her shoulders.

Charlotte looked at it and shook her head, "No, I like it. Kinda makes your eyes pop."

Liza laughed at herself as she held out the dress, "I mean I don't know where I would wear this. Most of the time I'm in my scrubs or some dinky _mom_ outfit."

"No you're not. You always dress well when I see you, and plus, if you get that it will give Jamie a reason to take you out more often."

"Yeah, in our _spare_ time." Liza laughed sarcastically and shook her head, "Not much of that is going on between a six year old, a one year old, the hospital, and him working."

Charlotte knew that her brother and his wife lived a very busy life but she smiled, "So you'll just have to ask me and Graham to watch the kids more often. "

Liza raised her brow as Charlotte said _and Graham_. It wasn't that she didn't like him, she did. Everyone did. Liza thought it was really sweet. "And how's everything with the two of you these days?"

Smiling, Charlotte had a sweet grin, "Great." She narrowed her eyes a bit and tilted her head, "Well, he has been acting a little strange lately but..."

"What do you mean?"

"I don't know. It's like when it's just the two of us he gets all quiet and his mind kinda goes somewhere else."

Liza suddenly had an intuitive thought about what might be on Graham's mind. Jamie had been the same way before he proposed. "Does he tone you out? Do you have to ask him things twice or say his name kinda loud to get his attention?"

Charlotte nodded, "Yeah. Is it a guy thing or something? Does Jamie do that with you?"

Liza tried to hid her smile and she bit her lip, "Um..." She knew she didn't want to spoil anything if she was on the right page. "...how's work been? Did he miss a save or something?" Liza knew that was a decent way to guide the conversation.

"No, I don't think so. Everything's been fine."

"I'm sure it's nothing. Maybe a lot has been on his mind? Boys are very weird sometimes."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded and took a deep breath, "Maybe?"

Haley walked back toward the girls and saw that Liza was holding a blue dress, "Oh, that's cute."

Liza nodded, "I thought so, too."

Charlotte had noticed a rack of black pants and picked up a pair, "I could use another pair of these, but look how long they are."

Waving off her daughter, Haley laughed, "Well I'm sorry that you got my height, but that's what your Aunt Brooke is for. She can hem those in no time."

Liza laughed. She was in the 5'4 club too. The mother of two looked to her sleeping baby and knew that Claire would in all likelihood join her mom, aunt, and grandmother as another Scott women to inherit the short pants gene.

Charlotte picked up the pants and looked toward the dressing rooms, "Alright, let's go try this stuff on. Hopefully we'll come out with a few keepers."

The Scott women all headed to the dressing rooms while the men were busy facing a daunting task in the Atlantic. There were hoping for a few keepers too.

"I can't do it. Help." Bennet was holding his fishing pole so tight that his knuckles were white. He'd hooked a fish that felt like it weighed a bazillion pounds.

Jamie was behind his son helping steady the pole while Graham leaned over the boat to scout the water. "I think you've got a big one, Bennet."

"Ugh, it's _really _hard." The six year old tried with all his might to turn the reel but he wasn't so successful.

Putting his hand over Bennet's Jamie helped his boy reel and slowly they started to make progress. "There we go, slow and steady, bud."

"How's it going, Bennet?" Nathan had been standing on the other side of the boat but had turned to watch the action unfold.

"Not so good."

"Nah, you're getting it." Graham looked at the boy and nodded, "I can see him coming in. He's about as big as you."

"Me! There are fish that big?"

Jamie laughed and nodded, "What do you think a whale is?"

Bennet furrowed his brow and he put more effort into reeling, "I thought it was different than a fish?" The boy turned to his grandfather for some backup.

Nathan laughed and threw his hands up, "Don't look at me. I never took marine biology. I hardly got through _biology_ alone."

Graham knew a thing or two about marine life and he smirked at Bennet, "You know what? You're right, Bennet. A whale is different than a fish. It's a mammal."

Jamie laughed and closed his eyes, "Oh nice. I graduate from UNC and my six year old outsmarts me."

Nathan laughed and patted his son on the back, "Get used to it, Jame."

"Here we go. Just a little bit more." Graham looked over the side of the boat and reached for the net. When the fish surfaced Graham scooped it up and brought it aboard.

"Whoa! Dad, look at that."

"Pretty good, Bennet." Jamie shook his son's shoulders with a proud smile.

Nathan extended his hand toward the boy and gave his grandson a pound, "I think you got us dinner."

Bennet looked to the three men on the boat with a smile as big as the Summer sun. "That was pretty cool, wasn't it?"

Graham laughed and held the king mackerel up nodding, "Pretty cool, Bennet."

A few grouper later and some missed opportunities, Nathan decided to take a break and let the younger fellas mess around.

Knowing that this was an opportune moment to speak with Charlotte's dad alone, Graham took a deep breath and let a minute or two pass before he put his rod down. "I'm gonna go up top to see if I can see any schools swimming around."

Bennet was securely holding his rod and nodded, "I'll call for you if we get another one." Jamie laughed at his son as he cast his line.

When Graham made it to the captain's quarters he saw Nathan leaning back in the chair. Charlotte's dad turned and smiled when he saw Graham. "Water looks pretty good from up here."

Graham nodded, "Yeah, for July it looks great. Sometimes there can be some nasty swells but today's pretty nice." He looked out and saw blue sky and the glimmering ocean beneath it. He loved the water. It was the only thing in life he knew he'd love forever. That was until he'd met Charlotte Scott of course.

Nathan got up from the chair and looked out the port window.

Graham swallowed hard and balled both his fists up before he found the nerve to speak up. Once he realized he couldn't just stand there in silence he cleared his throat. "Mr. Scott...?"

Nathan turned around at that. Graham had been calling him Nathan for the last six months so he knew something was up when he used that name.

Graham hesitated then began again, "Mr. Scott I love your daughter. She's intelligent, incredibly kind, determined, beautiful and the best part of my day..."

Nathan could hear the shakiness in Graham's voice but valued everything the guy said.

Graham ran his hand through his hair, "I don't want to wait around for this. She's the one. Charlotte's the girl for me and I wanted to know if I could marry her." Once he'd finished he repeated himself since his nerves got the best of him, "May I marry her?"

Sighing heavily. Nathan didn't know whether to be happy or sad. In one instance his little girl had found a man who loved her to no end, who was smart, who was kind, who made her laugh, and Graham was a good guy. He was a great guy, but for the last twenty four years Charlotte had been his. His little girl and he didn't know if he was ready to let her go.

When Graham realized Nathan hadn't said anything his heart dropped and his mouth went dry. He was about to speak up but Nathan intervened.

"Take care of her." Nathan looked to Graham and nodded, "Love her, protect her from anything and everything." He looked out to the water and then back to Graham, "Be safe out there."

"Yes sir, absolutely. Always." Graham realized that Nathan was saying yes and he felt his heart race a thousand miles an hour.

Nathan smiled and extended his hand, "Be good to her."

Shaking Nathan's hand Graham had a grin so big he could hardly speak. "Yes sir, I will. Thank you." He shook his head in disbelief, "Thank you so much."

Nathan nodded. He remembered how nervous he'd been when he'd asked Haley's parents, and he could tell by the way Graham was speaking, the way he looked, that he was the one for Charlotte. It was a bit scary to think about, but he knew he was doing the right thing. One of the best days of his life was the day Haley's parents said yes and he was pretty sure he'd just given Graham one of those days.

Graham was still taking it all in. He was going to ask Charlotte to marry him. Her father had given him permission and he couldn't be happier. He took a deep breath and looked down to the stern of the boat where Jamie and Bennet were. "Do you think we could keep this between ourselves for a little while? I want to make sure she's surprised when it happens."

Nathan nodded and laughed, "I'll try." He'd been able to keep Jamie's plans on proposing to Liza a secret from Haley and anyone else, but it was going to be really hard for Nathan not to tell anyone about this.

Graham looked over to Nathan again and nodded once more, "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Nathan smiled and watched as Graham headed for the ladder to go back down to the bottom level.

As Graham stepped onto the flat surface Jamie turned to him and noticed Graham's extra happy demeanor. He knew that face. He'd had it almost nine years ago when he'd asked Mr. Bennet a very important question. It was a look every married man could relate to.

Jamie turned to Bennet, "Hey bud hold on tight for a sec I gotta go talk to Graham." He walked towards Graham and arched his brow, "Congratulations man!"

"What? I don't know what you're talking about?" Graham waved it off like nothing had transpired in the last fifteen minutes.

"You're gonna marry my sister."

Graham furrowed his brow, "How did you know? Did you hear us talking?" He looked up to where Nathan was and knew that there was no way Jamie could have heard them.

Jamie shook his head, "No, I just knew. I was in the same place you were a while back."

Nodding his head Graham realized Jamie must have gone through the same thing with Liza's parents. He saw Jamie extended his hand so he did the same.

Once Jamie had a firm grasp on Graham's hand he tightened his grip and pulled Graham close, "Look I hate to be a jackass about this, cause I like you. I do. I mean we're friends, but I've got to say this. I didn't really do it when you started dating but I am now. I know you love Charlotte and I know she loves you, but if you break her heart or get her upset about something" He closed his eyes and shook his head, "I don't want late night phone calls about something you've said or done to make her cry so as the big brother I'm just warning you."

Graham was absolutely taken back by Jamie's behavior but he was the big brother. Jamie had every right to want to protect his little sister.

Jamie looked over to his son who was holding a fishing pole, "And he thinks the world of you so don't mess that up. It won't only hurt Charlotte, but Bennet too, and I won't have that."

"Yeah, no I completely understand." Graham knew that Jamie was only saying it because he cared. "I''m in it for forever, I'm never letting her go, and Bennet..." Graham laughed a little, "I'll always be his cool Uncle Graham."

Jamie nodded. That was exactly what he wanted to hear. He'd gotten pretty much the same thing from Liza's brothers when he'd first started dating her so he couldn't help but do the same for his sister. But Graham was a great guy. Charlotte loved him and he loved her. As long as she was happy, everyone else was happy.

Graham had to take a deep breath and let the everything set in. Nathan said yes. He'd said yes! It was almost as good as hearing it from Charlotte. Almost. That was his next question. He was gonna ask Charlotte Scott to marry him.

He looked out over the cool blue ocean and smiled thinking about it. It was happening. Everything was falling into place and now his next dilemma was figuring out how he was gonna pop the question.

**OTHOTH**

Two days had passed and Graham was still trying to come up with the best way to propose. Spontaneous and spur of the moment or planned romance? There were so many things he could do that it was hard to decide. He'd taken the ring out of its sacred little black box, and it had been in his pocket every time he and Charlotte had been together thinking he might find the right time, but nothing had happened so far.

"Let's go out to dinner." Charlotte was sitting on the back porch watching Graham throw the ball for Mack and Trout. "How about that."

"Sure. Where do you want to go?" He threw the ball and laughed when Trout tripped over Mack.

Charlotte looked up to the sky and took a deep breath, "I don't know. How about Bluewater?"

"Works for me." Graham leaned down to get the ball back from Mack and turned to Charlotte, "You wanna head there soon?" He looked to the sky and saw that the cloudy haze had probably turned most beach goers away. "It probably won't be crowded since it's cloudy."

"I was thinking the same thing."

Graham held out the ball for both dogs and nodded, "Last one, boys." He tossed the ball to the back fence and walked to the porch where Charlotte was sitting. "I'll clean up a little bit."

"Kay." She nodded and smiled when he leaned down to kiss her.

Graham pulled away and gave her a smile that melted her heart. He walked inside and subconsciously put his hand over his pocket to make sure the ring hadn't gone anywhere. It had become habit. Graham always wanted to make sure it was safe and secure in his pocket. The last thing he wanted to do was lose it.

They both were ready within minutes, and made their way to the beach.

"So maybe we were wrong." Charlotte laughed and looked at the long lines by the restaurant, "Maybe the clouds didn't scare off the tourists."

Graham pulled into a parking space and shrugged, "Maybe the wait won't be so bad? Let's go put our name in and see." The summer air was warm on their skin and Graham took Charlotte's hand as they crossed the street. He put their name on the list but it was going to be at least a forty five minute wait. They should have figured as much considering the time of year but they could find something to do to pass the time. Wrightsville Beach had plenty of little shops and other various places they could roam.

They started walking away from the restaurant and Charlotte listened to the ocean as the waves crashed along the shore just over the dunes. "So what's Poseidon up to today?"

Graham laughed and looked up to the sky to see if he could tell what the tide was doing. It was close to seven and with the cloud coverage and the time of day, Graham couldn't tell what the sun or the moon were doing. "I don't know, We can go check."

She nodded and it didn't take long to find a beach access. Charlotte took her heals off and held them in one hand as they walked toward the water. Surprised that the beach was as empty as it was, Charlotte turned to Graham, "The clouds must have scared away the beach goers to all the restaurants." She looked down the sparsely populated beach front and started walking in the sand.

Graham dug his hand into his pocket and took a deep breath. Her back was to him and he pulled out the ring.

"There's gotta be a story about clouds and the sea." Charlotte looked out across the breaking waves and then to the sky that was painted in various grays and purples as the sun slid beneath the horizon.

Graham had been in a quiet daze but when he'd heard her speak up he fell back into reality. He also dropped the ring. "Shit."

Turning around, Charlotte laughed, "Mmm, good story so far." She saw that he was kneeling down looking for something and shook her head, "What are you doing."

"Uh...I dropped...a nickel."

"A nickel?" Charlotte furrowed her brow and started to walk back to him. "Leave it for the sweet old men who wear those headphones and use the metal detectors."

Graham wasn't about to let this particular _nickel _fall into someonelse's hands. "Actually, it's a really rare one. I...should really try to get it back." He felt a lump form in this throat. Why did he have to drop the ring then? Why did he have to drop his grandmother's ring in the soft sand?

"Oh..." Charlotte knelt down on her knees and started to run her fingers through the grains of sand, "Is it one of those commemorative ones or something?"

He only nodded and continued to run his hands through the sand. He couldn't believe what was happening, and the worst part was that the ring was probably getting deeper with each move they made.

They were both on their knees looking for that _nickel _and Charlotte looked up to Graham with a small laugh, "Remember when I lost my earring?"

"Yeah. It was our first beach date, wasn't it?"

Charlotte nodded, "I got to watch you play volleyball...shirtless."

Graham laughed, and even though he was freaking out internally, her presence alone was calming him down. "I'm pretty sure I tried to show off and sucked."

"It wasn't _that _bad." Shaking her head, Charlotte smiled, "The actual volleyball wasn't so good but I got to hear one of your stories. I think you ha..." Charlotte stopped talking when her hand hit something cool and metalic, but it wasn't a coin. She opened her palm and saw a ring. Her heart stopped and she instantly knew he hadn't dropped a nickel. Charlotte felt her heart race and her voice grow weak, "Graham?" She shook her head out of disbelief and swallowed hard, "...you didn't drop a nickel, did you?"

Looking up from his search, Graham saw his grandmother's ring in the palm of Charlotte's hand and he shook his head, "No. I didn't." He took a deep breath and let out a small laugh. Reaching for the ring he picked it up, "You found it, huh? Well...I guess this messes up my plan, then. "

Charlotte laughed because he'd said something vaguely familiar the first time they'd met. She nodded and her eyes grew glossy as her heart started to race uncontrollably. She knew that he was about to ask her something.

Graham looked to Charlotte and the ring, and then back to Charlotte. He shifted his feet beneath him so he was on one knee. She was still on her two knees and they were nearly eye level.

The green eyed Coastie looked to the girl in front of him and took a deep breath, "I've never been so sure or so terrified of anything in my life. And when I thought I'd meet the girl I'd spend the rest of my life with, I thought there would be a moment, a fraction of a second where I'd just know." Graham took another deep breath and tried to steady his nerves. He saw a tear roll down Charlotte's cheek and he kept going. "But, Charlotte, it wasn't just _one _moment. Everyday you find a way to surprise me." Shaking his head, Graham shrugged, "I'm not saying it's perfect, but I don't need perfect with you. I love you." Charlotte's breath hitched when he'd said that and she was going to have a hard time saying anything coherent if he kept on going. But he did. He took one of her hands and nodded, "I want to build a family with you." Graham smirked and took her hand in his, "Today, tomorrow, and the day after that." Charlotte bit her lip and felt her chin quiver. Graham took another deep breath, "I think what I'm trying to say, is that I wanna spend the rest of my life with you. So I'm asking..." His green eyes met her brown ones, "...Charlotte Scott, will you marry me?"

Charlotte nodded first and tried to speak as best she could. "Ye..yes."

Graham felt an overwhelming feeling rush over him, "Yeah?"

"Yes." She nodded, "Of course." His hand were a little shaky but he slid the ring onto her left ring finger. Charlotte sighed and threw her arms around his neck and kissed his jaw, "I love you."

Smiling, Graham rested his forehead against hers, "I love you too." He kissed her and kissed him right back. They stayed close for what seemed like an eternity and Graham got up from his knee and helped Charlotte up.

She looked to her ring and shook her head out of pure shock. "I...Oh my gosh... I just...wow, Graham."

He laughed and ran his hand through his hair, "I can't tell you how happy I am that you found the ring."

Glancing to the diamond on her hand she sighed laughing, "Me either." She shook her head and got on her tip toes to kiss him again.

They'd stayed on that beach for awhile. Their reservation had come and gone but it didn't matter. None of it mattered. She said yes. Charlotte said yes, and if it was just the two of them for the rest of their lives they'd be perfectly content.

When the newly engaged couple got back to Charlotte's they were surprised but thankful that Sawyer and Ben were still out. It was close to eleven when they got inside but Charlotte went straight for the phone. The twenty four year old dialed the number and waited for the line to pick up. She stared down at her finger while the line rang and then she heard the familiar voice, "Mom? Hey, I didn't wake you up did I?"

Haley smiled and shook her head. She knew exactly what this call was about. Nathan had caved and told Haley that Graham asked for his permission to marry their daughter. Smiling, Haley looked to her husband, "No, we were up. What's going on?"

Charlotte couldn't contain the excitement in her voice, "Graham proposed! I'm getting married!"

**OTHOTH**

**They're getting married! Next chapter will pick up the next morning and we'll see Charlotte and Graham tell the rest of their family and friends the happy news. Then I'll be skipping each months after each section so the wedding will happen relatively soon. There's drama to come, though. One happy couple doesn't remain so happy, there will be lots of wedding planning, and a Graham's job will threaten everything they've planned.**

**Oh, if you haven't seen it yet, I've added in a family tree for the Little Moments "franchise". It may help some of you remember all the characters and who belongs to whom.**

**My reviewers are hands down, HANDS DOWN the best on this site. I'm totally convinced, so thank you. The support for this story has been incredible!**

**Just me and ncaq2000, I hope you enjoyed the update. I know you were waiting.**

**C: I'm so glad you've been enjoying the story. Hopefully you liked the proposal!**

**Joan: OTH 20 years down the road, lol. Sure. Maybe. I'd like to think something like this would happen with Nathan and Haley's daughter. I'm glad you liked how I incorporated the run last chapter with their 1 year anniversary. Again, Sawyer and Ben's problems will be addressed later. I'm bound and determined to get their story up. Believe me. **

**Anon: So how'd I do with the proposal? Hopefully it wasn't something too predictable. I appreciate the encouragement to think about my family before my stories. I was definitely going through a stressful time but all is well now.**

_**Review Please!**_


	15. This Kind of Love

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 15: This Kind of Love**

**Disclaimer: I still own absolutely-positively nothing.**

**A/N: New chapter time! This one will cover different things during the course of Charlotte and Graham's engagement. The rehearsal dinner and things like that will be included in the _next _chapter. This one mainly includes plot points I wanted to show before I jump into the actual wedding. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was lying in bed holding her hand out as she watched the morning light reflect off the diamond on her ring finger. It was real. This was real. She looked over to the sleeping man next to her and smiled. Graham had said all the right things yesterday. Even dropping the ring had been perfect; something they'd tell the kids one day.

She laid back against her pillow and took a deep breath. Things couldn't be going better. Charlotte rested her hand on Graham's bare back and started to run her finger tips along his tanned skin.

"I can feel that." He cracked an eye open.

Coiling back her hand, Charlotte hadn't really thought about waking him. "Sorry."

Graham stretched a little and rolled over on his side so he could face her more directly. He reached out and took her hand in his while he looked at the ring, "Has it set in yet?"

She shook her head and a warmth rushed to her cheeks. Holding out her hand, Charlotte sighed, "I...It's so beautiful."

"It was my grandmother's. My mom's mom."

Turning to look at him, the girl felt her heart swell, "Really?"

Graham nodded, "I wanted you to have something that meant a lot to me."

"Graham." It came out in more of a whispered hush and Charlotte started to feel her eyes well. She'd known that his grandfather had died pretty young. His grandmother probably cherished that ring. Now it was hers. She wasn't ever taking it off.

Charlotte looked for the thousandth time and let out an excited sigh, "We have so much we have to do. We need to call your parents. I need to tell Jamie. Sawyer's gonna flip. I think Aunt Brooke has been waiting to make me a wedding dress since I was three." She laughed and shook her head, "Have you thought about when you want to get married? Where?"

Smiling because he knew her brain was running a mile a minute, he shook his head, "I figured we'd get married here. Settle down, get our own place." He looked around the room and laughed, "You think Sawyer will take it well?"

Knowing that Sawyer probably wasn't going to be too fond in letting go of her roommate, Charlotte shrugged, "She can deal with it." She nodded and leaned over to kiss him. "Ben can keep her company."

Graham nodded, and rolled over to kiss her a little bit longer and looked back down to her ring, "When do you wanna do it?"

Charlotte bit her lip, "I've kind of always wanted to get married in September."

"I can do September." That was only six weeks away but that meant she'd be his sooner than later.

"But next September." Charlotte waited to see how Graham was going to react. That would be a long engagement. "I just don't think six weeks is enough time to plan everything. I don't think you could plan a _shotgun_ wedding in that little time."

It was a while away but Graham didn't mind. "I can wait. If you want September then we can do _next_ September. By then we should have a place of our own, you can do all those bridal luncheon things...that works for me."

"Are you sure? I don't wanna make you do something that you're..."

"Charlotte." He cut off her impending ramble and looked at her with a smile. "I'm marrying you. It doesn't matter when, or where, what color the napkins are, what kind of cake we have. I'm getting you." Graham laughed at her and kissed the side of her cheek, "That's all I need." He nodded and kissed her again.

Sighing as their lips parted, Charlotte took a deep breath, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Graham nodded and started to push the covers off his body and got up, "I gotta start getting ready."

Glancing at the clock, Charlotte started to move out of the bed too, "Yeah. I wanna go tell everyone."

Graham laughed and nodded his head, "Well don't get too excited and drop that ring anywhere." He laughed at himself and rolled his eyes.

Charlotte walked over to Graham and wrapped her arms around him. "I won't." It was on there now. It was on there forever. The both looked down at the ring and the girl looked up to the boy, "I'll see you after work."

Smiling, Graham nodded, "I'll call you later." He leaned toward her to kiss her before they went their separate ways. "Bye."

The severe intrusion of a million butterflies in Charlotte's belly made her cheeks turn a rosy shade of pink. "Bye."

Graham walked into the bathroom and Charlotte quickly got dressed throwing on the simplest of cute outfits, a touch of make-up, and her new favorite accessory; that ring. She grabbed her purse, her phone, and her keys, and walked to her car. Charlotte didn't have to think about where she was going first. It was obvious.

Pulling up the driveway, she quickly parked and ran towards the front door. Charlotte didn't need to knock and opened up the door, "Mom?" The young brown eyed Scott walked to the kitchen and saw her father sitting at the counter with the sports page of the paper. "Dad, hey."

"Hey, Char." Nathan smiled and put the paper down. He got off the chair and flashed a smirk Charlotte was familiar with, "Congratulations."

Her face beamed and she hugged her dad, "Thanks."

A part of Nathan didn't want to let go but he knew he needed to. She had Graham. He was good to her, he was what she needed, and he loved her. Charlotte couldn't be Nathan's little girl forever. He stepped back and raised his coffee cup toward his mouth, "I'm happy for you. Both of you."

Charlotte smiled and let out a laugh, "Oh and Dad, you should've seen him. Mom told you he dropped the ring, didn't she? He was so nervous."

"He was nervous when he asked me." Nathan sipped his coffee and nodded.

"When did he do that?" Charlotte assumed that Graham had talked with her dad but she wasn't exactly sure when that was.

"When we were out on the boat. I was up top while the guys were fishing and he came in an asked me."

Charlotte felt her cheeks get warm, "And you said yes." Halfway feeling like she could cry, Charlotte gave her father another hug. "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Haley had come downstairs and saw her husband and daughter in the kitchen.

Charlotte pulled away from her dad, "Mom!"

Smiling, Haley walked toward her youngest with a warm smile, "You're getting married."

"I'm getting married." The youngest Scott nodded and walked over to meet her mom mid hug.

"Ugh...I can't believe it." Haley was already tearing up and shook her head.

Charlotte nodded, "I know." She held out her left hand and both women inspected the ring.

"It's beautiful honey."

Charlotte took a deep breath, "It was his grandmother's."

Haley's brow furrowed because of the sentiment, "How sweet." She looked at her daughter and hugged her once more. "We have so much to do."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "I know. And I haven't told anyone else. Nobody knows but y'all."

"Brooke's gonna have a field day."

Charlotte laughed while nodding, "I thought we could go over to Clothes Over Bro's and see her."

Haley was already dressed for the day so she was ready to go whenever, "I'm sure we have a few places we need to stop by." Haley started walking and talking, and Charlotte followed. They walked out of the front door but Haley came hurrying back in. She'd left her purse.

Nathan was still standing in the kitchen and saw her purse on the counter, "Forget something?"

She nodded and quickly picked up her purse, and halfway toward the door she turned around. "I'm sorry." Haley laughed at herself and walked to her husband, "Bye." She rose up on her tiptoes and kissed him sweetly.

He was surprised she'd remembered to say bye with everything that was running through her head but he smiled, "Bye. Have fun."

Haley bit her lip as she walked away, "I love you."

"Love you, too." Nathan raised his voice since she was halfway out the door.

Outside, Haley hurried to the car and got in Charlotte's passenger seat. "Where to first?"

Charlotte started the car and saw that it was a little early for Brooke to already be at the store but she knew that Jamie and Liza were home. Hopefully. "Jamie and Liza's?" Haley nodded and Charlotte drove toward her brother's house. "I'm gonna ask Liza to be a bridesmaid."

Haley smiled, "I think that's great. You two have been close for years."

Her mom was right. Charlotte and Liza had been friends since Jamie started dating her...eleven years ago. Charlotte turned toward her brother's house, "And I was thinking the wedding party could be small."

"That's fine. Whatever you want."

"Sawyer and Liza up there with Ben and...Crawford." Charlotte had to pause because she wasn't one hundred percent sure who Graham would want standing next to him.

Haley had a smile on her face. She'd had two bridesmaids at her big wedding. Charlotte was more like her than she even realized. "Have you thought about when?"

Nodding, Charlotte smiled as she pulled onto Jamie's street. "September."

"September? That's only..."

"_Next_ September." Charlotte added innext and let her mo m's worry subside.

Haley laughed as Charlotte stopped the car, "Oh gosh, for a second there I thought we were only gonna have six weeks."

Charlotte smiled as she got out of the car and the mother and daughter duo walked along the sidewalk toward the front door.

Liza had seen them drive up and peeked out the window, "Jamie!" She looked behind her and yelled again, "Jamie!" She was just as excited as anyone else was. A few days ago Jamie told Liza about Graham asking his dad to marry Charlotte, so when she saw that her sister in law and mother in law were walking toward the house with smiles she knew. He'd proposed. Graham had proposed. The sparkly ring on Charlotte's left hand gave it away, but it was only because Liza was looking.

Jamie walked to the top of the stairs and looked at his wife who was at the bottom, "What is it? What's going on?"

"Charlotte and your mom are here!" She quickly looked out the window again and smiled, "I think they're here to tell us news."

Coming down the steps as he tied his tie, Jamie nodded, "Probably."

Liza couldn't wait for them to get to the door as they walked up on the porch. "You're getting married!"

Charlotte smiled wide and nodded as she hugged her sister in law, "How did you know?"

Jamie leaned in the doorway and smirked, "I _may_ have told her that Graham had asked dad something, so she _may_ have been looking for a ring every time she saw you over the last few days."

Holding up her hand, Charlotte laughed and nodded, "Well he did. He proposed."

"Come in, come in." Liza ushered Charlotte and Haley inside.

The Scott women were walking to the living room when Jamie looked to his little sister, "Hey?" Charlotte turned to her brother and he nodded, "Getting married, huh?" He stuck his hands in his pants pockets, "It's pretty exciting." Jamie looked at his sister with kindness and sincerity, "You're gonna be a beautiful bride."

"Thanks, Jame."

He smiled at Charlotte and they walked in the living room so they could talk about whatever it was the girls would want to talk about. Liza was told the few details that Charlotte already knew, and she gladly accepted her role as a bridesmaid.

After the women chit chatted a little bit longer Charlotte knew she wanted to go see her other bridesmaid. Her maid of honor more specifically. Saying their goodbyes, Charlotte and Haley left Jamie and Liza's and headed down to Tric.

"Oh look, Peyton's here, too." Haley pointed at the old Comet next to Sawyer's car.

Charlotte saw that a black 4-Runner was parked as well. They had good timing cause they could knock out three in one place: Peyton, Sawyer, and Ben.

Making their way up the old iron steps, Charlotte opened the door and pushed her sunglasses into her hair when they got inside.

"Hey." Sawyer was sitting at the bar eating breakfast that Ben had brought her, "What are you doing here."

Ben saw Charlotte and kissed Sawyer on the side of her head, "I'm...gonna go." He started to walk away and Sawyer furrowed her brow, "Wha...Ben?"

"No, stay, stay." Charlotte smiled at her friend and bit her lip, "I wanted to tell you guys something."

"Holy shit, are you pregnant?" Not minding that her aunt was in the room, Sawyer's eyes got wide.

Ben was trying to duck out of there quick because if Charlotte was gonna tell them what he thought she was gonna tell them he wanted to be far away from his girlfriend. He didn't particularly want to endure the wrath of Sawyer Scott when she found out he'd known Graham was proposing and kept it from her.

Charlotte's cheeks turned red from Sawyer's assumption but she shook her head, "No, but we're engaged!"

"What!" Sawyer hopped off the stool and was pretty sure a piece of her Dunkin Donuts breakfast sandwich had fallen out of her mouth. "Are you serious?"

"Yeah." Charlotte couldn't contain her excitement, "Look." She held out her hand and beamed as Sawyer gawked at her ring. If Sawyer liked it, then it must be good.

Ben had quietly walked toward the door but stopped when he heard Sawyer.

"Ben, where are you going. Come here." Sawyer waved him over and laughed at his sudden shyness.

"I...uh."

Sawyer felt her stomach drop and she cut her eyes, "Wait a minute." She pointed at him and shook her head, "You knew! You knew he proposed, didn't you!"

"Look, it's not like..."

"Ben!"

Charlotte looked over her shoulder and saw that Ben looked like a child who'd been caught stealing a cooking from the cookie jar. "I'm sure that Graham asked him not to say anything."

Sawyer wasn't listening to Charlotte and only furiously stared her boyfriend down.

"What's all the commotion out here?" Peyton walked out and rested her hands on her hips and looked toward the group.

Haley pointed to her daughter and Charlotte looked to her aunt and held up her hand, "I'm engaged!"

Peyton got that wide eyed look and her mouth fell open, "No kidding."

Charlotte shook her head with a laugh, "Graham asked me to marry him."

Smiling, Peyton walked up to her niece and hugged her. "That's so great, Charlotte." Peyton pulled away and looked at Haley with a look both moms understood as, 'Oh my God, our daughters are getting so old.' "Have you told Brooke yet."

"Not yet." Charlotte shook her head, "We were gonna go see her next." She turned to her mom and furrowed her brow, "And actually...do you care if I go by myself? If we both go I think it'll give it away."

"No, that's fine." Haley nodded to her daughter and Charlotte smiled,

"Alright, well...I'm gonna head over there now."

The older women nodded and Charlotte turned to head outside. Sawyer and Ben had taken their little spat to the parking lot and she watched as they argued by Ben's car.

"I'm going to tell Brooke the happy news." Charlotte spoke half sarcastically because she knew that neither of them would be paying attention. It was just as well. She'd want to talk maid of honor stuff with Sawyer when she wasn't furious at her boyfriend for keeping her in the dark. "Bye guys." Charlotte laughed outloud got in her car. If she was a betting person she'd put good money on the fact that her two friends would argue until they ended up in his backseat having sex. That's just how they were.

Charlotte made the short drive over to Clothes Over Bro's and was happy to see that Brooke was there. Since it was relatively early the shop was empty except for Brooke and some young employee working the counter.

"Welcome to Clothes Over Bro's." The new girl clearly had know idea that Charlotte wasn't a normal customer, that she was family.

"Hi. Is Brooke in the back?" The girl nodded so Charlotte made her way to the back of the store.

Brooke heard footsteps and smiled at Charlotte when she turned around, "Hey." She quickly held up two patterns for Charlotte to judge, "These might go in the fall line. Which one do you like better?"

"Definitely the brown." Charlotte nodded and started to walk around the work room.

"So what brings you here, Miss Charlotte?"

Stepping up in front of the mirror, Charlotte nodded, "I need a dress."

Brooke stood up and got her measuring tape, "Graham have some banquet or something?"

"Not exactly." Charlotte could feel her cheeks warm and she looked at her aunt in the reflection, "But it's pretty significant."

Walking to Charlotte's right side, Brooke wrapped the tape around Charlotte to get a preliminary measurement, "So what do you have in mind?"

"You know the dress Mom wore at her second wedding? The one you made?"

"Yeah of course. You want something like that?" Brooke knew exactly what Charlotte was talking about. "What color, and what occasion."

"Something close to white. And I'll need it next September."

Brooke looked up to Charlotte and was slowly putting the pieces together.

Charlotte held her left hand out to Brooke and nodded, "I need a wedding dress."

"Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh." Brooke stood up straight and she shook her head, "You're getting married!" She felt tears in her eyes and she wrapped Charlotte in a tight embrace.

"And it would mean so much to me if you would make my dress."

"Absolutely, of course." Brooke laugh-cried and nodded. This was a moment she'd been looking forward to for a long, long time. She didn't have a daughter and Charlotte and Sawyer were the closest she was going to get. This was a huge deal for her. "And the bridesmaid dresses. I'll do those if you want."

Charlotte nodded and she took a step off the elevated space in front of the mirror. "I was thinking dark cranberry for Sawyer and Liza."

Brooke imagined the color perfectly but wanted to jot it all down, "Wait, wait, let me get a notebook."

When Brooke had a pen and a clean piece of paper Charlotte continued, "Dark cranberry with maybe burnt apricot as the accent. But just a tiny bit. Maybe in the bouquets."

While the young girl started to explain her thoughts about colors and the styles of dresses Brooke diligently took notes. She was going to help make Charlotte and Graham's wedding spectacular.

"And what about the boys? Tuxedos?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I think Graham will wear his uniform. Probably the white one."

Brooke started to smile, "He's gonna look handsome standing up there waiting for you to come down the aisle."

Charlotte thought so. Graham was handsome in everyday clothes but get him in that uniform it was something else. But she wasn't marrying him for his looks. She was marrying him because of the person he was and the person she became when she was around him. Graham was intelligent and kind. He was sweet and would do anything for her. Charlotte was marrying him because she loved him. And she always would.

**OTHOTH**

July had faded away and summer turned to fall. January crept up, giving Graham his twenty eighth birthday, but it was February. Charlotte and Graham were on their way to finalize a deal on a house.

It was everything they'd wanted. Four bedrooms for the houseful of kids they planned on having, a front porch big enough to have a swing, and a backyard where Mack could run around and enjoy himself. Located close to UNCW, the two story house was just what they needed. It oozed classic tranquility with its crown molding and hardwood floors, and the floor to ceiling windows gave it a warm, inviting welcome. With its tin roof, rain would transform into music as beads of water sang against the metal. It might be annoying to some, like Sawyer, who'd complain if it disturbed her sleep, but Graham loved it because it reminded him of the ocean. The house looked liked an old southern home, aged by countless families who had made their life inside the walls, but now it was time for a new family. It was time for Charlotte and Graham.

The house hadn't been an easy find though. After six months of actively looking they'd finally found a house. They'd finally found their home.

Graham pulled onto Old Garden Road and looked to his bride to be, "You're so quiet."

"I think I'm nervous. What if we get there and Mark says that everything fell through?"

"He won't." Graham shook his head. If their realtor did say that Graham would find a way to make things work. He pulled into the driveway and parked his Tahoe. "Ready?"

Charlotte took a deep breath and nodded. Graham leaned over the center console and kissed her to ease her worries, "We're about to get our house."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I love you." Charlotte leaned toward him and kissed him once again.

Graham nodded towards her, "I love you, too."

The young couple got out of the car and walked to the porch hand in hand. The grey-green exterior was perfect for the North Carolina setting and Graham opened up the front door. "Hello?"

Mark walked out of the kitchen with a manila envelop and a smile, "Hey, guys."

"Hi."

"I've got all the paperwork and your keys."

Charlotte's heart started to settle because that was good news. The seller didn't back out, nothing had gone wrong with the deal and they were getting keys. "That's great."

Mark handed Graham the envelop and gave each of them a key to the front door and the back door. "If you guys have any questions or need anything, feel free to call me."

"Thank you so much." Charlotte smiled with her big brown eye and clutched the keys in her hand."

Graham nodded and shook Mark's hand, "Thank you for everything you've done."

"Sure, I hope you two enjoy this house for many years to come." Mark smiled at the Charlotte and Graham and showed himself out of the house.

Charlotte walked through the foyer and into the living room. Her eyes roamed across the walls and the built in book shelves. Everything was perfect. Graham moved toward the fireplace and bent down to turn on the gas logs. He watched as Charlotte walked through the dimly lit room and wrapped his arms around her waist when she got close enough. "Is it everything you wanted?"

She nodded and kissed him.

Kissing the side of her mouth, Graham took Charlotte's hand and led them to the dining room. He stood behind her and rested his chin on her shoulder, "Our third year here we'll have Thanksgiving dinner. You'll make that green bean casserole that's so good. I'll try not to overcook the turkey, but Mack will find a way to sneak a roll or two off the table."

Charlotte laughed and shook her head, "He better not."

She felt him pull her toward the kitchen and he pointed to the nook, "Well have a table there and those purple flowers you like so much. Whenever we have some you'll put 'em in a vase over there."

Charlotte was leaning on the island counter tops and wanted in on their story. She took his hand and headed up the stairs. She stopped at the first bedroom and stood in the center while he leaned in the door frame. "This will be our first baby's room. A...little boy." She smiled when he saw Graham arch his brow.

"A boy, huh?" He walked toward her with a grin.

"Or a girl. Either one." Charlotte felt herself blushing at the thought of their future children.

Graham tugged on Charlotte's shirt and walked across the hall to the next bedroom. "And in this one..." Graham looked around the room and nodded, "A little girl's room. She's gonna look just like you."

Charlotte really felt her cheeks heat up with that, but Graham was probably right. Charlotte looked more like Haley each day and it wouldn't surprise anyone if their little girl ended up with those doe eyes and that blush.

The young couple walked into the third bedroom. Charlotte looked around and then to her fiance, "And what about this one?"

"Hmm...maybe if we have two boys we can bunk them in here. Toy trains and boats all over the floor. I'll probably slip on a few."

Charlotte laughed and closed her eyes thinking about it. "And what if we have another girl."

"Then I'll get familiar with Barbie." He smiled and nodded, "I won't mind."

Her heart was melting and Charlotte sighed heavily. He was great. Graham was undoubtedly the sweetest man on earth. "Come here." Charlotte took his hand in hers and they walked back downstairs to go into the rooms they hadn't already elaborated on. Eventually they ended up in the master bedroom and Charlotte arched her brow, "And what about _this_ one?"

Graham matched Charlotte's raised brow and he pointed to the ceiling, "All those babies upstairs have to start somewhere." He smiled and walked to Charlotte and rested his hands on her hips. "I can see ourselves spending a lot of time in here." Graham kissed her cheek and then her neck as he sucked on her warm skin for a moment.

Charlotte felt her knees growing weak and her tightened her grip around him. "Graham..."

"I know." He didn't want to pull away but they didn't even have a bed. They didn't have a blanket. They didn't have anything. Hardwood floors were not going to be comfortable for that. Graham left one lingering kiss on Charlotte's lips and pulled away. They could do that when they had a bed, or at least a mattress.

Felling flustered and in need of some air, Charlotte and Graham both walked out of the master bedroom and towards the screened in porch off the kitchen. Charlotte sat down on the swing and took a deep breath of winter's air. "I don't want to go anywhere. I don't want to leave and get boxes. I just wanna stay here."

Graham nodded and walked over to the swing to sit down. "Me too."

Neither of them wanted to leave. They were experiencing first house syndrome. They didn't want to leave something they'd just gotten.

Charlotte leaned into Graham's side and breathed him in. She laughed and dug her head into his chest, "If it wasn't so cold we could just stay out here." Nodding, Graham wrapped an arm around Charlotte.

"Charlotte! Graham? Where are y'all?" Sawyer's voice rang through the house and to the back porch.. "If you're having sex put your clothes back on. We have food and wine."

Laughing, Charlotte got up and walked inside the house.

"Oh, hey." Sawyer put the pizza box on the counter and held out a bottle of wine. "Look what we brought!"

Ben stumbled into the kitchen with an armful of things. Folding chairs, a big rectangular box and some kind of bag with blankets. "Where should I put this?" He looked at Sawyer but then realized he should be asking Charlotte instead.

"There's a fire in the living room."

"Ah, sweet." Sawyer got out four paper cups and smiled at Graham when he came up behind Charlotte. "We brought housewarming stuff. Since I've been through this first night in a house thing with mine I knew you guys wouldn't want to leave."

Charlotte smiled at her maid of honor. How thoughtful. "Thanks, Saw."

"I put the chairs up. Let's take the pizza in there." Ben had walked back into the kitchen and pointed behind him with his thumb.

Picking up the pizza Graham followed the girls and his best friend toward the living room and laughed at the old chairs Ben had set up. It wasn't anything fancy but it would work for now. The movers were coming in a few days to bring their big pieces of furniture.

"So what's that?" Charlotte pointed at the box Ben had put down in the corner of the room and Sawyer raised her brows.

"That is where the magic is gonna happen tonight. It's a blow up mattress. We couldn't fit a real one in Ben's car and I certainly couldn't get one in mine."

Graham looked at the bag next to the box, "And the blankets are in there?"

"Yeah. We got some pillows to. I really shoved them down in there." Ben nodded and took a bite of pizza.

Sawyer took a sip of her wine, "We also stopped by the dollar store and I grabbed you both a toothbrush and toothpaste. I wasn't about to go through all those boxes at home."

"We figured since we're the best man and maid of honor that we needed to get you guys the necessities for the first night." He bit into his pizza and then got sidetracked by the wall space in front of him, "Dude, Graham, the TV will go perfectly there."

Sawyer narrowed her eyes and nudged him in the side. Was that really important to say out-loud.

Graham nodded, "Yeah, that what Charlotte and I thought, too."

"Excuse him and his child brain."

Laughing, Charlotte took a sip of her wine after she finished chewing her pizza, "Thanks for doing this."

"We almost brought Mack but we kinda figured that we should ease him and Trout away from each other. It's gonna be tough for them." Ben nodded and looked to his two engaged friends.

Sawyer laughed and raised her brow, "Are you sure you're not talking about you and Graham."

"What? No." Ben didn't do a very good job lying.

Graham smiled and patted his buddy on the shoulder, "Don't worry man, you can come over whenever you want."

"You too, Sawyer." Charlotte looked to her old roommate.

The inseparable foursome went on to laugh and talk about a little bit of everything but eventually they did separate. Sawyer and Ben headed back to her house and Graham was in the bedroom trying to figure out how to blow up their makeshift bed. It wasn't going to be the most comfortable thing but it was going to work. It would be memorable.

"You getting it?" Charlotte walked into the bedroom with a curious smile.

"Yeah I'm trying." Graham put the instructions down and plugged in the cord when he was sure everything was hooked up right. "It's working. It'll probably take a minute."

Charlotte nodded as she went through the bag of blankets Sawyer had packed and pulled out everything she thought they might need. There was a bottom sheet, two pillows, and two big blankets that were gonna have to do.

Graham took his shoes off and knelt down to turn off the pump for the mattress. "I think this is about as good as it's gonna get."

After putting on the sheet, Charlotte spread the blankets out and put the pillows in the right places. Graham shut the door and turned off the lights. He walked next to Charlotte and they both looked down at their "bed".

"Here goes nothing." Graham pulled his shirt over his head and gently laid down. It wasn't like lying on clouds but it wasn't like lying on a rock either. "It's not so bad."

Charlotte knelt down and slowly crawled her way over to Graham. She placed her body so her back was against his stomach and she smiled when he wrapped an arm around her. Leaning her head back, Charlotte met Graham in a kiss and put her head down on the pillow. She felt his warm breath on the back of her neck and it gave her goosebumps. "Graham?"

"Hmm?"

"Did you mean all that stuff when we were talking about the rooms earlier?" Charlotte rolled over a little so she was one her back a little more than her side.

Graham leaned over her and nodded, "Yeah. Thanksgiving, those purple flowers, babies...all of it."

Charlotte felt her heart burst and she raised one of her hands to graze the fine hair on the back of his neck before pulling him towards her. "I want that. All of that." She nodded and kissed him. "Maybe not Mack stealing the rolls but..."

"I know." He did. Graham was going to do everything possible to give it to her. Putting a good portion of his weight on her he kissed her on her jaw and they started back where they'd left off earlier that night. This time they had a mattress and they weren't going to stop.

**OTHOTH**

The tale end of February had been exceptionally cold and Graham was walking around the base with his thick USCG jacket about to make sure that the oxygen tanks in the chopper were full. With the high winds in the spring time, sailors and adventurists liked to try their hand, or tempt fate, with the Atlantic. Graham needed to make sure they had plenty of the necessary materials if they had to go on an rescue mission.

"McFarland?"

Graham had just gotten to the helicopter when he heard the Admiral call out his name, "Sir?"

"In my office, son."

Going to visit the Admiral was a lot like going to see the principle. You were either in trouble or you were in _big_ trouble. Graham couldn't think of anything he'd done wrong so he was puzzled why he was being called in.

"Have a seat." Admiral Langston looked at the young lieutenant and then the file on his desk. He knew Graham was a good guy and he also knew that he was engaged and starting a life in Tree Hill but nothing was ever permanent with the Coast Guard, "I know you and Charlotte are getting married soon and you two are planning on staying here, but I've just received next month's station positions."

A sinking feeling swarmed Graham's stomach, "I'm being moved?"

The Admiral nodded, "Texas."

Texas! That was two thousand miles away. Graham took a deep breath, "I thought I was supposed to be here for a while? It hasn't even been three years."

"But you know how it goes, Graham. They need a patrolman with a good eye who can help with the drug trafficking around Houston."

"But I'm a rescue swimmer." Graham wanted to fight this with as little conflict as possible. It was true, though. He was a rescue swimmer, but it wasn't the only thing he did. It's what he specialized in.

Admiral Langston nodded, "And you're a damn good one but we need more patrolmen down there. Your number came up."

Graham sunk back in his chair and tried to think of something else to say. "When am I supposed to leave?"

"Next month."

Running his hands over his face, Graham took a deep breath. "Do you know how long I'm supposed to be stationed there?"

"Six months."

"I just bought a house here. I'm getting married in five months." Graham looked to Admiral Langston with pleading eyes, "Is there anyway I can postpone it?"

"I would if I could Graham. Believe me, I don't wanna see you go either. You're probably the most upstanding guy we've got."

At a loss, Graham knew his best bet was to obey his orders. He stood up and saluted to Admiral before walking away.

"Graham?" The older man spoke causing Graham to turn around. "I know you were supposed to leave here in about an hour but why don't you go on home. I'll have Drew check on the chopper."

Graham only nodded and walked toward his car without remembering how he got there. He got to his car and the first person he called was Ben. He was out on a patrol himself but he had a direct line to the captain. When the line clicked Graham spoke, "Can I get Ben Trammell on the phone, please?"

It took a minute but Ben finally got to the phone. "Trammell."

"Ben, hey."

Recognizing Graham's voice, Ben furrowed his brow, "I'm coming home tomorrow, you didn't wanna wait and talk to me then?" He laughed and shook his head. Ben thought this phone call was gonna be important.

"They're sending me to Houston."

"What?"

"Next month. I'm supposed to go patrol for the Houston base." Graham let out an aggravated sigh but was glad he was talking to someone about it.

Ben processed the information, "Shit man, that sucks."

"What am I gonna tell Charlotte?"

"Does she like Texas?" Ben laughed through the phone.

Graham shook his head, "I'm serious. This is serious." He sighed and took a deep breath, "What would you tell Sawyer?"

Ben scratched his head and shrugged, "I'd tell her to come with me."

"Even with her job here, her family; everything she loves?"

"Well...if she loved me, yeah. I'd hope she'd come but knowing her she probably wouldn't." Ben guessed that's what would happen if the situation was reversed but he really didn't have a good answer. "But you don't have a choice. It's part of being in the Coast Guard. We move around sometimes."

Graham looked blankly out the window and shook his head, "Charlotte's gonna be so upset."

"Maybe not. She'll understand. Charlotte's that kind of girl."

She was an understanding girl but this wasn't a move across a county or across the state. "Yeah, maybe." Graham took a deep breath and shook his head, "I'll see you tomorrow. Sorry about dragging you in this."

"It's what best men are for, right?" Ben laughed and said goodbye to his friend.

Graham sat in his car for a while. Ten, fifteen minutes maybe. He was trying to think of ways he could tell her. Graham started his car and figured he'd just have to figure it out. Right now they had to go taste test cakes.

Charlotte was waiting at the house when she saw him pull into the driveway. She closed and locked the front door and walked toward Graham's car. She opened up the passenger door and stepped up into the chair, "Hey."

"Hey." Graham leaned over to give her a quick kiss and he reversed out of the driveway.

"So look at these." Charlotte held out a few magazine clippings and nodded, "I think I'm gonna see if we can get them to kind of combine the look of these two." Graham hadn't been paying attention so Charlotte shook the clippings in her hand, "Honey?"

"Huh?" Graham looked to her with a blank look.

Charlotte held out the clippings, "These two. We liked these two, so I'm gonna see if we can get the cake people to combine the styles for ours."

"Oh yeah, that sounds good."

Charlotte could tell something was a little off but she looked out her window wondering if she should say something. She didn't and the majority of their ride had been quiet.

When they walked into the bakery, Charlotte was holding Graham's hand with one of hers and the magazine clippings with the other.

A older woman behind the counter smiled at the couple, "Charlotte and Graham?"

"Yes, ma'am." Charlotte smiled and she and Graham walked up to the counter.

"You wanted to taste our wedding cakes, right?"

Graham nodded and the woman walked over to a counter and pulled out a large tray. "We've made you a sampler. Feel free to try all of them and if you want more of something just ask."

"Great, thank you." Charlotte smiled at the woman and they sat down at a table and Charlotte leaned over the cakes, "These smell so good."

Looking down to the ten varieties of white cake and white icings, he nodded. He used his fork to cut into a piece and tried to determine if it went on the good or bad list. "This one is kinda waxy tasting."

Charlotte took a bit and scrunched her nose up, "Yeah, I don't like that one."

They each took bites of different ones but neither of them liked what they had. Charlotte picked at another and Graham did the same.

"Mmm, taste this one." Charlotte nodded and used her fork to point.

Graham did as he was asked and took a bite. It was good. Probably the best one they'd had but he just wasn't in the cake mood. "You want this one?"

"Well do you like it?"

"Yeah. It's fine" He nodded, "It's good."

She didn't exactly want a _fine_ or _good_ wedding cake, "Are you sure. I want you to like it."

"I do like it." He nodded and put his fork down, "I'm sorry." He shook his head, "I'm not trying to be unenthusiastic. I know the cake is important and I like it. I do. I'm just not really into to cake right now."

Charlotte got a nervous feeling. A nervous feeling that he was slowly starting to back out of their forever. "Um, okay, well..." Charlotte put her fork down gathered up her magazine clippings, "We can do this another day."

"Can we?"

"Yeah, sure." Charlotte looked to Graham with concerned brown eyes, "I don't wanna pick something you don't like. I want us both to like it. Wholeheartedly, one hundred percent."

Appreciating everything his future wife was saying, Graham nodded, "Thanks."

Charlotte got up out of her chair and walked to the counter and spoke to the bakery owner. They rescheduled another day to test cakes and Charlotte and Graham left almost as soon as they'd arrived.

The car ride home was silently awkward and when Graham pulled into the driveway he stopped the car and looked over to Charlotte. She could see it in his eyes that something was bothering him. "Graham, what is it? You're making me nervous."

Graham looked out of the windshield and took a deep breath, "They're sending me to Houston."

"What?"

Graham nodded, "I'm being shipped to another unit. I'm supposed to go to Houston next month."

Charlotte let everything register and she furrowed her brow, "But..."

"I know." Graham swallowed hard. "The wedding and everything that goes with it. Your family's here. Your job. I know."

"But you can't not go, can you?"

Shaking his head, Graham looked to Charlotte, "I don't want to go. I don't want to have to make you uproot and move to Texas, but I don't want to leave you here either."

It was breaking her heart that he was put in this predicament but she knew that orders were orders, "How long?"

"The Admiral said six months."

Charlotte tried to rationalize what was going to happen. "Well that's not that long." It was. It was a really long time but she didn't want to make him feel worse. "Whatever you have to do..." She reached out and took his hand. "I'll be there."

It was comforting knowing that she was supporting him no matter what but it didn't take the guilt off his shoulders.

"Well figure this out." She looked at him and nodded.

Figuring it out ended up taking a lot longer than either of them had expected. Housing became an issue. Would they get an apartment in Houston, was there anyway to keep the house in Tree Hill, too? Would they need to push the wedding back? It was all a mess for about two weeks until they had an answer.

Just over two weeks remained until they were supposed to head to Texas and Charlotte was packing up their dinning room. Something she felt like she'd just unpacked a couple months ago.

The front door opened and Charlotte assumed it was Graham but it wasn't. It was Ben.

"Hey Charlotte, is Graham here?"

Charlotte looked to Ben and had a pang of sadness run through her heart. Ever since he and Sawyer had broken up two weeks ago she'd felt like she was torn between two friends. It was Sawyer vs. Ben and Charlotte couldn't pick sides, but her blood ran thicker than anything. No matter who's fault, Charlotte couldn't abandon Sawyer; they were cousins. But she couldn't give up on Ben since he was her soon to be husband's best friend. "He should be home any minute. He just ran to the store."

"Charlotte?" That was Sawyer's voice and the brown eyed girl's eyes got wide.

Sawyer walked into the house and saw Charlotte and Ben standing in the dinning room.

Ben just rolled his eyes, "Didn't you see my piece of shit 4-Runner out there? And you still wanna come in here?" His tone was harsh and unforgiving.

"Ben..." Sawyer shook her head. She hadn't been paying attention to the cars outside. She'd just wanted to come over to talk with Charlotte. "I...I'll go."

He shook his head, "No stay. You should hear this too."

Sawyer didn't know what he meant by that but she awkwardly stood by the door until Graham got home a couple minutes later.

The green eyed Coastie walked into the house not knowing what to expect. He'd seen both Sawyer and Ben's cars outside so he didn't know if he would be walking into a war or a peace negotiation.

"Hi." Charlotte saw Graham walk inside and she smiled up to him from her sitting position on the floor.

Graham looked to Ben and then Sawyer and then Charlotte, "What's going on?"

Ben took a deep breath, "You don't have to go to Texas."

Graham furrowed his brow, "Huh?"

"What?" Charlotte looked to Ben and wondered how he knew that. They hadn't heard anything different.

"You don't have to go. _I_ am." Ben nodded and looked to Graham, "I talked to Admiral Langston today. I told him that if they wanted a patrol man to take me. I'd go. You two have everything here." Ben looked to Charlotte, "Your parents are here, and yours..." He looked at Graham nodded, "...yours are just a couple hours away. You're about to get married." Ben glanced around the room and shrugged, "You just bought this house."

Graham was trying to figure out what was happening."Ben you don't have..."

Shaking his head, Ben cracked his knuckles, "I don't have anything keeping me here. I don't have someone here. I mean my dad's in Tennessee."

Sawyer had been listening to everything Ben was saying and had to look away because she could feel herself start to cry.

Charlotte got up off the floor, "Wh...What made you do this?"

He had a few reason but one was the most obvious. "I love you guys." He laughed but shrugged, "I'm Graham's best man, I'm just trying to help out."

Walking over to him, Charlotte gave Ben a giant hug, "But you'll come back for the wedding, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ben..." Graham swallowed hard and tried to come up with words but he couldn't. "Thank you." He hugged his best friend and knew that a huge weight had been lifted from his and Charlotte's shoulders. They didn't have to go to Texas. They got to stay in Tree Hill. It was how it was supposed to be. Things were still going according to plan.

Charlotte and Graham could stay in Tree Hill. They could get married in Tree Hill. They'd have a family in Tree Hill.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. Next chapter will include the rehearsal dinners and things of that nature along with the wedding and reception. I haven't decided if I want to include the honeymoon or not. I may skip over it and do it as a flashback down the road.**

**Here comes a shameless plug! I've posted the first chapter of Sawyer's fic- Little Moments: It Runs in the Family. Check it out if you're a fan of Sawyer. You'll find out what happened to Sawyer and Ben as I get further in the story.**

**My reviewers are amazing! Thank yo so much for the feedback, guys! **

**C: I'm glad you loved the proposal and thought it was sweet!**

**2old4oth: LOL, you and me both. I think it would be great to live vicariously through a character in fanfiction. Sawyer came back strong in this new chapter so I hope you liked her, and check out her story if you're interested. I didn't even know about Megan Fox/BAG losing her ring on the beach. That totally sucks that they didn't find it. I appreciate the feedback!**

**BDavis: Yay, I'm taking your tears as huge compliments. I'd had Graham's proposal and him dropping the ring for months so it was nice to finally get it out there. I'm glad you liked how it all played out. It's great to know you love Charlotte and Graham so much!**

**Tp404: I'm thrilled to know you liked the chapter and the proposal!**

**Anon: It's good to know I sorta threw you for a loop in regards to how the proposal was going to go. Nathan wasn't in this chapter a whole lot but I hit heavily on his emotions about Charlotte getting married in a LM chapter. I don't remember the exactly number (forty something), it's called Feels Like Letting Go. Check that out if you wanna read more about Nathan handling his daughter's engagement.**

**Review Please!**


	16. To Have and to Hold

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 16: To Have and to Hold**

**Disclaimer: Nathan and Haley and all the Tree Hill gang from the show are not my characters. That's a negative. But hey, if you're reading this, Mark or if you've got someone trolling fanfiction, it wouldn't hurt my feelings if you named the baby Charlotte. Not. At. All. Just sayin'.**

**A/N: Dummm, Dummmm, da dummm. Dum, dumm, da dummmm. Okay, so maybe none of you actually hummed the wedding march but that's what was supposed to happen. As you probably figured out from the chapter title and the musical experiment above...this is the wedding chapter. Yay! I definitely should have been doing assignments today but last chapters reviews really inspired me. Y'all killed it! It was a record high for reviews, so thank you so much. I knew I couldn't keep you hanging for being such amazing readers/reviewers so here you go. I Hope you like it, guys. Enjoy.**

**Oh, and there are a lot of characters in this one. Check out the family tree on my profile if you need to. It might help you sort everyone out.**

*****UPDATE*** So sorry for the confusion early about the chapter. I'm not sure how Jamie's chapter ended up posted here. Everything is sorted out now...at least I think. If anyone else comes across a problem feel free to leave it in a review or PM.  
**

**OTHOTH**

Graham was standing next to the minister and swallowed hard. It was real. He and Charlotte were getting married. September had finally rolled around. He looked over the church pews and took a deep breath. His attention landed on the tall blonde making her way down the aisle and Graham laughed at Sawyer because she had her headphones in. She was probably listening to something that would help her get her strut down. Charlotte and Graham were getting married, but they were getting married tomorrow. They were only rehearsing.

Sawyer stepped to her place next to Charlotte's spot and leaned over to stick her tongue out at the best man.

"Hey!" The four foot tall stand-in stuck his tongue back towards Sawyer. He turned away from the maid of honor with a cute grin and saw the second bridesmaid walk his way. When Liza made it further down the aisle, the seven year old smiled,"You look pretty, Mama."

Liza was dressed in a simple black dress, ready for the rehearsal dinner that would promptly follow. She smiled at her son as he stood in between Crawford and Graham. "Thanks, Bennet." Jamie's wife stood next to Sawyer and everyone watched as Nathan and Charlotte started down the aisle.

The father of the bride wasn't nervous now, but considering he wasn't wearing the tux and Charlotte wasn't in the dress, it didn't feel like he was letting go just yet. He still had a little bit longer.

"Left together, right together." Charlotte looked up to her father with sweet smile, a little laugh and warm brown eyes.

Nathan felt his chest tighten because when Charlotte had glanced to him she'd looked just like Haley. But it wasn't. His wife of over thirty years was sitting next to their son in pews. Nathan glanced Haley's way and her big brown eyes that matched Charlotte's had a glossy sheen. Suddenly he had a feeling that he wasn't the only one who was going to be extra emotional tomorrow.

The father and daughter had reached the end and the minister spoke up. "Mr. Scott, when you and Charlotte stand here tomorrow I'll ask you who gives this woman to be wed?"

"I do." Nathan took a deep breath. "We do?" He looked behind his shoulder at Haley and then back to the minister, "Uh, what, which one do I say?"

Folding his hands together, the minister shrugged, "It's up to you. Either one is just fine." Nathan nodded but in reality he was freaking out. Why couldn't the guy have just said one or the other? It would make things much easier. The man heading the wedding party lifted his arm toward the bride's side of the chapel and nodded toward Nathan, "You'll then walk back to the pews."

Nathan nodded his head and looked to Charlotte with a kind smile.

"Thanks, Dad."

Charlotte was slowly melting into that tiny little baby he'd remembered seeing for the first time all those years ago and Nathan had to swallow hard. It wasn't going to get easier, was it?

After Nathan sat down next to Haley the minister said a few more thing and eventually looked to the seven year old standing next to the groom. "The best man will hand the groom Charlotte's ring, and the maid of honor will hand the bride Graham's ring." The older man glanced to Sawyer and nodded.

They didn't have the rings now and Bennet looked to the minister and used his hand to shield his mouth, "I'm not really the best man but if Ben doesn't get here in time Graham said I get to fill in. For real." Bennet flashed a smile that could have lit a dark room and everyone in the wedding party laughed. He wasn't exactly as quiet as he thought when he'd spoken up.

Graham turned around to look at the boy behind him and rustled his hand through his hair, "I'm keeping my word too, bud." He took his voice down to a whisper and laughed, "You're way cooler than Crawford anyway."

The younger McFarland arched his brow toward his brother and shook his head. Graham was a real jokester sometimes.

"Once everything's said, Graham, you'll be able to kiss Charlotte and I'll formally announce you as Lieutenant and Mrs. Mathew Graham McFarland."

Charlotte felt her cheeks start to turn and she bit her lip. Lieutenant and Mrs. Two titles that sounded pretty good together. Graham smiled at her and stuck out his arm so they could walk up the aisle as they would when they were officially married. He leaned toward her and placed a sweet kiss on her temple when they were halfway up the aisle, "You ready?"

She looked up to him and simply nodded. Of course she was ready. She'd been ready for this day since he'd given her that ring over a year ago.

Bennet walked down the couple steps and looked to Sawyer as he extended his hand. "I think I'm supposed to excort you."

Sawyer laughed at the way he'd said escort but she placed her hand in his, "Bennet, you can _excort_ me anywhere you want." The little boy who was walking next to her was adorable. If she ever had kids for some crazy reason, she wanted one just like him.

Liza and Crawford were the last two to walk back up the aisle and when the rehearsal was over the wedding party had a dinner they needed to get to. Everybody was walking toward their respective cars and Graham opened up Charlotte's door.

"You're not gonna stop doing that when we get married are you?"

"What?" He looked at her funny and shook his head.

Charlotte tilted her head at her door, "Open it up for me."

"I'll do that as long as you want me to." Graham nodded at Charlotte and shut her door. He walked around the car and got into the driver's seat. He pulled away from the church and headed toward a place he'd been to on more than a few occasions. It wasn't a long drive and when Graham pulled up to the gate he smiled at the security guard. He rolled down his window, "How you doing, Willie?"

"Might fine myself." Willie nodded and looked behind Graham to the other cars, "Good night for a rehearsal dinner, huh?"

"Come inside if you can." Charlotte leaned on the center console before Graham had responded and looked at the older man, "There will be plenty of food."

"That's kind of you, Charlotte." Willie smiled at the bride to be and then looked at Graham, "Early congratulations for tomorrow." He extended his hand towards the young lieutenant.

'Thanks, Willie." Graham shook the old guard's hand and watched as the gate opened in front of him. He pulled into the parking lot and the couple walked hand in hand to hanger number three.

Charlotte loved the feel of the late summer, early fall air as a calm breeze floated across her skin. Anne had done a fantastic job organizing the rehearsal dinner. Coming up with the idea to have it at the base had been nothing short of perfect. Charlotte had already thanked Graham's mom as much as she could but she'd do it again later.

The small hanger had been set up to hold just over thirty people, primarily immediate family, and everything looked perfect. The colors, the center pieces, everything.

Hearing Graham laugh, Charlotte looked at him and then saw who he was laughing at. Standing by Graham's older sister, Ben had Harrison on his shoulders bouncing him around. Charlotte looked behind her shoulder to see if Sawyer had come inside the hanger yet, but knew she shouldn't worry about it. They were grown adults. Sawyer and Ben could behave themselves for a couple days. It had been five months, after all.

"You made it." Graham walked toward his best friend and smiled.

Ben nodded looking down at his watch and bounced Graham's almost four year old nephew on his shoulders, "I had a six hour lay over in New Orleans." He shook his head with a bit of annoyance. "But I'm here."

Charlotte had walked close to Ben and gave him a side hug, "I'm glad you made it."

Picking up Harrison off his shoulders, Ben put the young boy on the ground and nodded, "Wrote my speech on the plane, stopped by the house to put my bags up, and got here about ten minutes ago."

"How was Mack when you got to the house? He hadn't torn anything up, had he?" Charlotte was worried that their still young golden retriever went on a withdrawal rampage. Dogs somehow knew when their owners were leaving or about to leave them for a while.

"Nah, he was fine. Asleep in your bedroom, actually" Ben nodded and took a sip of his drink when he saw a blonde enter the room. He took a deep breath and smiled, "Me and Mack will have a good time house sitting while you two are gone next week."

"And thank you for doing that." Charlotte's eyes warmed, "I know you have to go back after a few days but I'm glad you'll be staying there until Sawyer takes over."

Ben nodded and out of the corner of his eye, he caught another glimpse of the silhouette belonging to a person he'd formerly loved.

"Oh Ben, you're here." Mrs. McFarland walked up to the group who'd been talking and hugged her surrogate son.

"Yes, ma'am." He looked around and smiled at Charlotte and Graham, "Couldn't miss their big day."

"Anne, everything looks absolutely wonderful." Charlotte turned to her future mother in law and nodded.

Graham's mom looked around the hanger and smiled back at Charlotte, "Thank you. I think it turned out well, too."

Small talk about this and that continued for another twenty minutes and then the guests took their seats as dinner was ready to be served.

"Dad, say your stuff now." Bennet leaned over to his father and gave him a nod.

Jamie raised his brow and looked to Liza. He'd wanted to say something for and about his little sister and it seemed like now was the right occasion. Liza nodded and Jamie stood up and gathered everyone's attention. "Before we eat I wanted to take a minute to say a few words about Charlotte and Graham." Jamie's voice carried well with the openness of the room and he nodded, "I think it goes without saying that most of you know know who I am, but I'm the brother of the bride." Jamie looked to his left and smiled at Charlotte. "When we were growing up I always thought Charlotte had it easy. That she was the lucky one." Jamie took a few steps away from his table, "Since I was older she got to learn from my mistakes. Most of the time, anyway. There _was _the one time she tried to sneak out of the _front_ door of the house. But..." Laughing with the rest of the group, Jamie glanced at an embarrassed Charlotte, "That, she didn't get from me." He started to smirk and shook his head, "But as we got older and after I went away to school, I realized something. Charlotte wasn't the lucky one. _I _was."

Haley felt her eyes tear up as she heard her son speak. Hearing him speak about his sister like that was incredibly moving.

Jamie nodded and continued, "I was away from home and thought I knew what I was doing and how to do it, but anytime I'd have a problem, any time I needed advice, I'd call Charlotte. She may have been in junior high but it didn't matter. She always had a way of making things better, calming me down, or making me see the obvious answers when I couldn't." Jamie's blue eyes roamed around the room until they settled on Liza's. He'd talked to Charlotte about her more than anything. He may have owed his marriage in part to her.

Turning to the table where Charlotte and Graham were sitting, Jamie smiled, "You're smart, and beautiful, kind, and you've found someone who doesn't take that for granted. The first time I met Graham I was...hesitant."Jamie laughed and shook his head, "Not because I didn't like him, because from the moment Charlotte first talked about him I'd recognized her feelings. It's hard to describe unless you've been there, but you just know. The little signs. The small tells. It was there, and when I realized what kind of man Graham was, when I found out he was everything she needed then I knew knew _we_ were lucky." Looking across the room to faces he recognized, Jamie nodded, "All of _us_. The Scotts, the McFarlands, your friends and family. I think I can speak on everyone's behalf in thanking you for finding each other and wish you well as you begin your lives together." Jamie lifted his glass and nodded toward the couple. "To Charlotte, and to Graham. Congratulations."

Charlotte felt her heart fill with an immense pride as she locked eyes with Jamie and she felt the lump start to form in her throat. He was, he had to be the best, most encouraging older brother anyone had ever had. His blue eyes told her he loved her and that he was happy for them. Charlotte's brown eyes were starting to cloud with tears but she blinked to say thank you, and she took a deep breath. She felt Graham slip his hand over hers and everything felt better. Turning to face him, Charlotte kissed him quickly on the lips and smiled. They were getting married tomorrow.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte woke up in her old bedroom at her parents house and the morning light let her know that it was the big day. She'd woken up a few minutes before her alarm so she scooted over to the bedside table to turn it off. Stretching before she got out of bed, Charlotte gazed up at the ceiling and took a deep breath. It was her wedding day. Her real deal, sure thing, wedding day.

Making her way downstairs, Charlotte smelled the coffee and smiled at her parents when she saw them sitting at the counter.

"Morning, Charlotte." Nathan watched as his daughter grabbed a coffee mug and she smiled back.

"Morning."

Haley was as excited as any mother would be and was waiting on the breakfast casserole to finish up. "Are you getting excited?"

Immediately smiling, Charlotte nodded and blew on her steaming cup of coffee, "Yeah. I think it'll really hit me when I'm in the church with my dress, but yeah. It's surreal."

Haley smiled, "It's gonna stay like that for a while."

Nathan arched his brow, "It hasn't _stayed_ like that?" He laughed at her because Nathan knew that _it_ had stayed. That feeling wouldn't go away. Theirs hadn't.

"No, yes. Of course..." Haley rolled her eyes, "You know what I mean." She shook her head with a laugh and Haley pulled out their breakfast. "We should eat pretty fast. Time's gonna fly today."

Charlotte was spinning the golden ring on her pinky finger and nodded, "Yeah, that's fine. I was just gonna throw on some jeans and a button down."

Haley nodded, "That's all you'll need."

For the next thirty minutes, Nathan, Haley and Charlotte ate their breakfast with laughter and nostalgic conversation. When they were all done with the food Haley put their plates in the sink but Nathan walked up to her, "I'll do it. You go get ready." He tilted his head towards the steps knowing they'd need to be at the hair place soon.

"Thank you." Haley smiled at him and as she'd done for the last thirty plus years, she got on her tiptoes and kissed him.

The girls were upstairs and downstairs before Nathan could finish the dishes and he started to wipe his hands on the towel when they walked towards him.

"We'll see you later, Dad."

"Bye, Char. I'll see you at the church." He looked over to Haley and nodded, "Call me if you need anything.

"I will." Haley clutched her purse in her hands and nodded as he walked to him. "I'll see you later." She kissed him quickly and started to walk for the front door, "Bye." Haley heard him say goodbye and when the mother of the bride got outside the girls drove toward the salon.

When they got there Charlotte was surprised to see that Sawyer was already there. The strong scent of hairspray filled the air at Primp and Charlotte smiled at her maid of honor, "You're here early."

"Yeah, well..." Sawyer got up and shrugged, "I think it's maid of honorly to be punctual." Pushing her sunglasses up into her hair, Sawyer arched her brow, "Figured today would be a good day to start _living up_ to the name."

Charlotte caught Sawyer's tone and was going to say something but Haley interrupted her thought. "I really loved that pin your mom got. I haven't asked he yet, but do you know where she found it?" Haley was talking about the tiny blue heart that Peyton gave to Charlotte. It was perfect for her something blue and she was going to stick it against the ribbon around her bouquet.

Realizing that her aunt was referring to the thing her mom gave Charlotte, Sawyer shook her head, "No, but..." Sawyer dug through her purse and smiled at Charlotte, "I've got your something old."

Wide eyed, Charlotte furrowed her brow, "Sawyer? What is that?"

"Well you know those dispensers at the grocery store. The ones you put twenty five cents in? Well I found this..." Sawyer held out the tacky fake tattoo and laughed, "...in a book at the house yesterday. I couldn't not do it."

Haley bit her lip and looked to her daughter with a laugh, "You did always want one."

Charlotte turned to her mom and was expecting anger not hilarity. "Mom, that was different, and I wasn't getting married." Glancing at the temporary tattoo, Charlotte furrowed her brow again. "No."

"Oh, come on. You can put it somewhere so the dress will cover it up. Graham might kinda dig it if you make it a slutty tramp stamp."

"Sawyer." Charlotte shook her head because Sawyer obviously forgot that her mother had one.

Quickly remembering about Haley's tattoo, Sawyer's eyes met Haley's and she shook her head, "Sorry."

"Sorry I'm late."Apologies were arriving in bulk as of late. Liza walked through the front door of Primp and laughed as she walked towards the other three Scotts, "Claire was a bit _defiant _with her cereal this morning. I'm pretty sure Jamie ended up having two bowls tossed at him." She sighed heavily and laughed again, "I don't remember Bennet's terrible twos being so..._terrible_."

Haley smiled at her daughter in law, "You just learn to block it out." Temper tantrums at the grocery store, locking themselves in the bathroom, drawing on the walls with permanent marker. Oh yes, Haley could relate.

"I wasn't that bad." Charlotte looked at her mom with a confused look. Why had her mom said that with that voice.

Smiling, Haley shook her head, "We only tell you about the good stuff, honey."

Sawyer saw that Haley was turning to look at her but she threw he hands up, "Oh, I know I was _bad_. You don't have to tell me. I'm surprised Mom and Dad even had Keith after me."

Haley started to laugh and saw Anne and Lane walk into the salon and she smiled, "Hi."

"Haley, thank you so much for inviting us to come. It's such a treat." Graham's mom smiled kindly toward Haley and nodded.

"Sure, sure. We wanted you here." Haley nodded at the mother and sister of the groom. She wanted them to feel included in it all.

An employee gathered the women and took each of them to a respective station. After two hours had passed everyone had their hair washed, dried, styled and sprayed and they could check hair off the list. The next destination was the church. It was still relatively early but those hours they had until everything began were going to fall off the clock faster than any of them imagined. By the time the girls made it to the church Charlotte was positive that they weren't going to have time to get ready.

"Mom we still have to get pictures. The minister wanted to talk to me one last time before everything starts. I'm starving, and...we're not even dressed."

Liza couldn't help but laugh at her sister in law. Charlotte was having her Bridezilla moment. They all did at some point. Walking over to Sawyer, Liza drug Jamie's cousin in front of Charlotte and put on her best Louisiana bayou accent, "Here! Hit this! Go ahead, Charlotte. Hit her."

Charlotte looked at Sawyer's horrified face and started laughing out loud.

"What the hell, Liza?" Sawyer tried to get away from Liza's grip.

Liza was bent over laughing and shook her head, "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." She waved her hand in front of her face.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte sighed and felt a lot better after that big laugh, "It's from Steel Magnolias."

"Oh, well _that's_ great." Sawyer rolled her eyes, "But quoting a damn movie doesn't make the fact that you wanted to smack me okay. Take your frustration out on something else."

Liza was still laughing and shook her head, "She wouldn't have actually hit you."

"Ha, sure." Sawyer walked to the other side of the room and was not about to test Liza's hypothesis out.

Charlotte knew Sawyer wasn't going to understand the joke to the fullest extent. Back when Liza and Jamie got married all of the girls watched Steel Magnolias the night before the wedding, so when Liza had a tiny come apart before the ceremony the next day the movie came in handy. Liza's maid of honor, Ansley pushed one of the bridesmaids up to Liza and quoted the movie, told her to hit Kate if it would help. Liza didn't actually hit Kate, but the eruption of laughter had worked like a charm. Apparently it worked for Charlotte, too.

"Dresses, I've got dresses!" Brooke walked in with one giant dress bag while Millie and Peyton followed behind.

Peyton laughed as she walked over to her daughter, "What's with you?"

"Charlotte almost attacked me."

Sawyer said it so matter-of-factly that Peyton laughed out loud, "And what did you _do_, exactly?"

"Noth..." Sawyer was cut off by a blood curtailing yell.

"Oh, my God!"

Everybody looked towards Brooke's raspy exclamation. She and Charlotte were behind one of the dividers and Brooke saw a horribly tacky...something, on Charlotte's lower back. "Wha...Charlotte?"

Charlotte turned over her shoulder and shook her head, "It's fake, Aunt Brooke. Don't worry. It's what Sawyer gave me for something old."

Brooke's heart returned it's normal rhythm and she breathed a sigh of relief. She'd been horribly worried that, that thing was permanent. At least her something new, dress would have covered it up. But still, that was horrible looking. "Oh, wow." Brooke laughed at herself and then looked over to Haley. "For a second there I thought she'd pulled a you." The clothing designer laughed and then noticed the small golden ring on Charlotte's pinky, "Aw, Tutor-mom. She's wearing your ring?" Brooke started to feel nostalgic and thought back to their high school days. "You wore that at your wedding."

Haley smiled with a nod, "Both of them." Glancing toward her daughter, Haley could see that Charlotte was spinning the thin gold band around her finger. It was Charlotte's something borrowed.

"Oh, Sawyer..." Brooke leaned down and pulled out chicken cutlets, "These are for you." She tossed them towards Sawyer and when she picked the up the younger blonde glared at her mom.

Peyton laughed and shrugged, "Sorry, kid."

Charlotte laughed at her hardly an A cup cousin and shook her head. Poor Sawyer. Charlotte took a deep breath amongst the chit chat and laughter that filled the room and took a good look in the mirror. She was in the dress, she was in the church, she was walking down that aisle, and she was marrying Graham. Happiest day of her life.

**OTHOTH**

Graham was sitting in a much smaller room and he was fumbling with his hat. He wasn't even supposed to wear it but he couldn't put it down. Tossing it up and down in his hands seemed to calm the nerves.

Crawford was sitting across from his brother and laughed, "If you crap your pants, you're in deep shit. That white uniform won't exactly..."

"Leave him, alone Crawfish." Ben shot Crawford a glare and laughed, "He's getting married. He's allowed to be nervous."

Graham looked up at Ben, "And that helps?" Maybe Graham should have had Bennet standing up there with him. The little guy had his back. "What time is it?"

"We've got thirty minutes till we have to head out there." Crawford checked his watch and looked up to his older brother.

"I'll be back in a minute." Graham got up and walked out of the small room so he get some air. His uniform felt extra tight today.

"Graham?"

Hearing a voiced he'd heard all his life, Graham turned around and smiled at his dad. "Hey."

Mitchell walked toward his son with a sweet smile, "How are you doing?"

"I feel like I'm gonna pass out."

Mr. McFarland walked up to Graham and put his hand on his shoulder. He checked his watch and nodded, "You'll feel better in about four minutes."

"Why four minutes?" Looking at his dad, Graham shook his head.

"Did I ever tell you about the day I married your mom?" He knew he had but Mitchell hadn't told his son everything. At least not the part he needed to hear right now. "I was sitting in a room a lot like the one you were probably just in and I was a wreck. I'd convinced myself your mom wasn't gonna show, told myself I'd be alone at the alter."

"Why'd you do that?"

"The same reason you need some air." Mitchell nodded toward Graham with a smile. "You get so excited thinking about tomorrow and the day after that, that you assume it won't get any better than today. That maybe this is your best day. And nobody wants one best day."

His dad obviously knew what he was talking about and Graham laughed, "Is this some natural instinct? To feel this way?"

Mitchell nodded, "Everyone gets nervous, Graham. It's nothing to worry about." He patted his son on the shoulder, "And you'll have plenty of best days. I promise you that." Mr. McFarland sighed and the wrinkles around his eyes deepened. Mitchell and Anne had a lifetime full of best days but a few stuck out. "Your mom and I had three."

Graham nodded when he realized the three his dad were talking about were when he, and is brother and sister were born. He couldn't wait to be a dad. Graham took a deep breath and smiled, "So before you married mom, when did everything click?"

Mr. McFarland smiled at his son, "Right after I talked to my dad." Mitchell extended his hand and nodded.

Taking another deep breath, Graham shook his father's hand and pulled him close for a hug, "Thanks, Dad. I love you."

For Mitchell McFarland it never got old to hug his children. No matter how old, for what reason, when or where. "Love you too, son."

While one father and son duo were on one side of the church Nathan and Jamie were on the other. This time it wasn't the father with the words, it was his son.

Nathan was standing outside the church watching people come in and he'd give them all a nod or a quick hello but other than that he was pretty quiet. His stomach was in knots and he couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to lose his little girl.

That wasn't the case at all, but he sure did feel like it. He saw Jamie walk up with Bennet and smiled at his son and grandson.

Jamie noticed his dad's attitude, "You nervous?"

Nathan didn't even say anything. Instead he took a deep breath. Jamie tried not to laugh. He knew it must be hard. He'd have to do the same thing with Claire when she got married. "Dad just remember..." Jamie took a step away and started to slowly walk, "Left together, right together, left together..."

"I got it." Nathan peeled his eyes at his son. Charlotte had said the same thing to him at the rehearsal. It wasn't like he was going to forget. He knew that Jamie was just trying to lighten his spirit but it didn't help.

Jamie knew that he needed to say a little more than that. "I know today's gotta be hard." He put his hands in his pockets and nodded towards his dad, "And I can't speak from experience. I don't want this day to come for Claire for a while, but Charlotte knows you're always gonna be there. You'll always take her side. She's gonna love you no matter what. She loves Graham, but she loved you _first_."

Nathan took a giant deep breath, "Thanks, Jame."

Smiling, Jamie nodded and felt his pocket vibrate. He checked the message and saw Liza's quick text then looked to his son, "The little man and I are being summoned inside." He tucked his phone back in and looked toward the church, "I think we should be heading in. I gotta lead Mom down the aisle." Jamie raised his eyebrows and stuck his hand out for his son, "Come on Bennet, we gotta get back inside."

Bennet reached for his father's hand and Nathan watched his son and grandson walk into the church. Since Jamie was getting a text telling him things were starting Nathan was sure someone was going to come and get him at any moment.

Jamie walked into the foyer of the church and Sawyer and Liza in there cranberry colored dresses . Haley waved at him and moved over to her son. "It's about that time. You all set?"

"Yeah. I'm walking you down, Bennet's gonna sit with you, and then I'm gonna go stand by the guys."

Haley nodded, "Right." She ran through everything Jamie said in her head. Jamie was walking her down, Bennet would sit next to her, and then Jamie was gonna stand by the other ushers. He would sit next to his mom but somebody was gonna have to tell the Coasties that were waiting outside when it was time to raise their swords.

Sawyer turned to Charlotte when she saw Jamie and Haley and she looked at the bride, "Want me to get your dad?"

"Yeah will you. I think he stepped outside."

Sawyer nodded and walked to the door. Once she opened it she saw her uncle standing on the stairs, "Hey Uncle Nathan, we're starting."

"Oh, okay. Thanks." He took a deep breath and walked in behind his niece.

Charlotte lit up when she saw her dad walk in, "Hey, Dad."

"Hey, Char." Nathan looked at his daughter in her dress with her hair up, she looked just like her mom, "You look beautiful."

Charlotte smiled and stuck out her hand. She gave his hand a light squeeze, "You ready?"

To be honest, no. He wasn't ready at all. He never was going to be. Nathan watched as Sawyer and Liza walked down the aisle and he stuck his arm out. He had to get over it fast. Nathan nodded and felt Charlotte lock her arm in his, "Alright, here we go."

Charlotte looked like the little girl who'd run down the stairs on Christmas morning with her glistening brown eyes and adorable grin. "Dad?"

Nathan turned before they started to walk and looked to his daughter.

"I love you."

Those words melted his heart and he kissed her forehead, "I love you too."

The father and daughter made their way down the aisle and Nathan looked directly at Graham when they'd entered. Graham looked mesmerized and more in love than Nathan thought possible. Dressed in his USCG dress whites Graham waited for Nathan and Charlotte to meet him at the end.

Once they were down the aisle Nathan swallowed the lump that was forming in his mouth.

The minister cleared his throat, "Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"

Nathan thought about if for a split second about what the minister said. Woman? Charlotte wasn't a woman, she was a girl. His girl, and he was trying to delay the inevitable, but he looked back at Haley and was met with kind eyes. Nathan turned to the minister, "Her mother and I do."

Charlotte turned to Nathan and smiled. He kissed her cheek before he gave Graham her hand. They both smiled at each other and then Nathan walked to his seat next to Haley. As soon as he sat down he felt Haley's hand wrap around his. And for an instance all his worries went away.

Standing in front of everyone Graham was memorized by the girl in front of him. She was beautiful and perfect and everything he'd ever need. Going with traditional vows, Charlotte and Graham both spoke about loving each other from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, as long as they both shall live. It was simple and it was sweet, and it was them.

The minister looked to Graham and nodded, "You may kiss the bride."

Graham couldn't help but smile and leaned towards her. Charlotte met him halfway and this kiss had been like their first kiss. "I love you." It was a small whisper, but Graham had heard it.

"I love you, too."

"Ladies and gentlemen, I give to you Lieutenant and Mrs. Matthew Graham McFarland!"

It was was first time Charlotte and Graham were hearing that officially and in practice and it sounded good. It sounded more than good. It sounded perfect.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte and Graham were waiting on their cue to enter the reception and both of them were absolutely over the moon. His hands were around her waist and she was leaning into his tall frame. They wanted to stay like that forever. Just standing there, perfectly content and still while the world moved on around them.

They were inside her parents kitchen looking out at the sea people gathered on the lawn, and the river flowing in the background couldn't have made for a better place for the reception.

Graham had his hat on and Charlotte smiled when she reached for it and set it on her head, "Good look, right?"

"You're beautiful." Graham nodded and leaned down to kiss her. They'd parted just as they heard Mouth announced their names. Walking across the pool deck and pausing for a second at the top of the stairs, Charlotte and Graham smiled and walked down to the dance floor.

Their song started to play and Charlotte and Graham slowly waltz with the beat. They were both good on their feet, and watching a man in uniform dance with the woman he'd just married was breathtaking. Even for those unlucky in love, for those few people who where single, or for those lost souls who hadn't found what they were looking for, Charlotte and Graham gave them hope.

Brooke had said something similar when Nathan and Haley remarried years ago and as she watched the young couple sway in front of her, she got that feeling again. The same one she'd felt as she'd toasted to a couple who inspired hope; everything was going to be okay. Nathan and Haley had a love that would not alter, and so did Charlotte and Graham.

The song ended the couple separated as a different song started to play. Haley nudged Nathan's side and looked up to him. "Your turn." Nathan looked down at her and he silently nodded. Smiling, Haley watched him walk away. "Just like we practiced."

Nathan smiled and made his way to the dance floor. Charlotte waiting in the middle. She smiled when he stood in front of her, "So? You gonna dance with me or what?"

He laughed at her sarcasm and held out his hand, "If you'll have me."

Charlotte flashed him their trade mark smirk and placed her hand in his. From a distance Haley watched as her daughter and her husband moved across the dance floor and she wiped a tear from her cheek. She knew Nathan was having a hard time, but seeing the two of them together was something else.

After a little bit of dancing Charlotte looked up to her dad, "You know you're not half bad."

He chuckled, "It's cause I practiced."

"You practiced?"

Nathan nodded, "With your mom in the kitchen for the last two weeks." He glanced over at Haley and smiled at her, "She's always been good at tutoring me at things."

Charlotte glanced at her mother then back to her father. She wondered if there was anything her mom hadn't taught him. Charlotte glanced to the man in the uniform who had a new ring on his finger and watched him as he danced with his mom. Nathan danced with Charlotte a little while longer and then Mitchell cut in for just a little while.

"Hi, Charlotte."

"Hey, Mitch."

The older man smiled, "Good day?"

"Great day." Charlotte's brown eyes softened and she nodded at her father in law. They'd continued to dance for a little while and then the music died down. Everyone made their way to their respective tables. Ben got up to walk over to the microphone and greeted everyone before he started his speech.

"Beautiful night for a wedding." He looked up at the clear sky and gave boyish grin, "But I'm not here to talk about the weather." Ben smiled when he heard people laugh and looked over to his fellow Coast Guardsmen. Graham took a deep breath and prepared to be embarrassed.

The speeches were given and other toasts were made. Ben got the most laughs but Bennet stole the show. Little kids always did. He'd promptly taken the mic after Crawford had said a few words and smiled at everyone looking at him.

"Hi." The little boy looked at the mic and then to the people who were awing over his small stature but booming voice. "I'm Charlotte's nephew, Bennet, and I wanted to say something. A couple things."

Jamie looked to Liza because he had no idea that their son had planned on talking in front of everyone. Her surprised face let him know she didn't either.

"Firstly, Graham is awesome. The best hide and seek player, ever." The little boy looked to his father and shrugged, "Sorry, Dad." The audience laughed and Bennet continued, "Second, I almost got to be his best man, you know? I was. I practiced and everything." He shrugged and looked over to Ben. "But the real best man got here in time. I didn't hurt my feelings, though. I knew it would all be alright." Bennet looked over to his aunt and smiled as his confidence was sky high. "And third, I love my aunt Charlotte, because, well, she's my Aunt Charlotte, and I just wanted to tell her thanks for marrying such a cool guy."

"Oh my goodness." Haley leaned over toward Nathan, "He is so cute."

Charlotte felt her heart swell as she glanced at her blued eyed nephew. She mouthed you're welcome and Bennet smiled back and gave her the thumbs up.

Dinner was served and after everyone was able to mingle and congratulate the bride and groom the next thing to do was cut the cake.

"You're not gonna smush it on my face are you?" Graham laughed and shook his head and he put one hand on the knife. Charlotte put hers on top of his and they successfully cut their cake. Graham was putting the pieces on a plate and Charlotte slyly swiped some icing on her finger, "You know what?" He turned toward her and she proceeded to smear the icing on his cheeks and above his lip, "I never get to see you with facial hair."

He winced as her sugary fingers rubbed all over his face and he laughed, "Coast Guard orders." Graham took a step back and let her admire her work. "Like it?"

She laughed and shook her head. "It's not a good color for you."

Graham knew he wouldn't have a white beard but he kinda loved the fact that when he did Charlotte would be the one to see it. Taking a step towards her he laughed, "I shouldn't go gray until after our first year of marriage."

She rolled her eyes and kissed him. Graham took the opportunity to accidentally rub his cheek on hers. Now Charlotte had icing on her. She used her finger to wipe it off, "Well thank you."

"Anytime." Graham smiled at her with a cute grin.

The rest of the guests who wanted cake got some and after dancing and little more drinking it was about time for Charlotte and Graham to make their grand exit. Almost.

Charlotte had just finished talking with Brooke and one of Graham's aunts when she heard her father's voice.

"It's getting to be about that time, isn't it?"

Turning to face Nathan, the young bride nodded, "Yeah. I think it is."

Without saying much of anything, Nathan wrapped his arms around her and held on for little while. "I love you, Charlotte.

Recognizing the moment and it's significance, Charlotte nodded and dug her cheek into his shoulder. A small tear slipped down her cheek, "I love you too, Dad."

"Whenever you need us, your mom and I'll always be here." He looked down at her and nodded, "We're not going anywhere."

She didn't want to get upset, she didn't want to cry, so Charlotte simply nodded.

"Charlotte?"

This time it was Graham's voice and she looked behind her to her groom. He smiled at her and slowly walked toward her. "They're getting ready to send us off."

"Yeah, okay."

Before she walked toward someone else Nathan kissed the top of Charlotte's head. The two newlyweds walked one way and Nathan went another.

Graham knew better than to ask if she was okay. He knew how close she was with her dad and her wedding, their wedding marked a turning point. She wasn't a little girl anymore. He put his arms around her and leaned in close.

Charlotte breathed in his scene and sighed, "Thank you."

"For what?"

She rested her head against his chest and looked up to him with a shake of her head, "Just...thank you."

He held her close and then when cheers got pretty loud he knew they were supposed to walk down towards the dock. "Ready?"

Charlotte nodded and they started to head towards the cheering. There was a old wooden boat waiting for them.

"Congratulations."

"Have fun!"

"We'll see you when you get back!"

All kinds of things were shouted their way and Ben was waiting at the end. Graham stopped in his tracks when he realized the wooden utility they were driving away in was his. It was the one he'd been fixing up.

Smiling at him, Charlotte leaned toward Graham. His face was priceless. "How..." You did this?" He laughed and looked at Charlotte.

"I had some help." Charlotte glanced to Ben and then walked toward the edge. She held out her hand, "Permission to step aboard?"

Absolutely. Graham nodded and took Charlotte's hand as he got in the boat and quickly helped her in. He still couldn't believe she and Ben had been able to orchestrate everything behind his back.

"Everything works. The lights, the horn..."

As soon as Graham heard that, he couldn't help but try it out.

Ben untied the ropes and threw them into the boat and Graham started the engine. It even sounded good. The crowd cheered even louder when that rumble started to come from the boat. Ben kicked them away from the dock and saluted toward Charlotte and Graham.

Charlotte rested her chin on his shoulder and smiled, "Take me away, Lieutenant."

Easing throttle, Graham checked his depth and his sight line before he nodded. They were going to the airport in the morning, flying to Ireland, but they could spend as much time as they wanted cruising the calm water of the inlet. They had the rest of their lives a head of them.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. Hopefully you enjoyed the chapter. I know I didn't include Sawyer and Ben's speeches but it helped cut down the word count and they'll probably end up in Sawyer's story anyway.  
**

**My reviewers are amazing, and like I said in my first author's note, you guys killed it with reviews last time. I got an all time high so thank you! I really appreciate the feedback! You guys have no idea how much it means to get those little messages.**

**Sara: Thank you so much for reviewing. I'm glad you liked chapter 15.**

**JulieStone: Throwing in a bit of suspense every now and then is kinda a fun way to keep readers on their toes, lol. I'm glad you liked it!**

**Laura: I enjoyed writing the part where Charlotte tells Brooke about the engagement so I'm happy to know you liked it. Ben was selfless to go to Texas but I think someone like him, someone who really didn't have a reason to stay would do the same thing.**

**Jessica: Thank you so much for the compliments! I'm so glad you enjoy my stories! I hope if you got a chance to read Sawyer's fic you are enjoying that one too.**

**Joan: Ha, yeah, I thought it would be funny to have Sawyer to think Charlotte was funny, too. I appreciate your kind words about the way I write Brooke, thank you. And as you mentioned, no, the Sawyer and Ben break up was not good. At all. I'm glad you liked that Ben going to Texas over Graham showed a nice reflection of his character. **

**Someone didn't sign their name: Thanks for reviewing! I'm glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you've enjoyed Sawyer's story so far.**

**Shellbee64: You've turned off your PM function so here is your reply- I'm happy you're happy that Charlotte and Graham are staying in Tree Hill. I'm also glad you liked the little bit about Graham going around the house saying little things about each room. Thanks for reviewing!  
**

**Review Please!**


	17. Some Things Happen

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 18: Some Things Happen**

**Disclaimer: You guys know the drill. I don't own anything related to OTH.**

**A/N: So Charlotte and Graham are married and the next chapter of their lives begins. Read on to find out what's in store for the two newlyweds.**

**Lisa, this one's for you. Thank you for encouraging me to get this done. Couldn't have done it without you.**

**OTHOTH**

It was mid November and Charlotte was nervously sitting at a red light. She wasn't late getting home, and she wasn't worried about the clouds rolling in overhead; no, the thing that had her nervous were the little boxes sitting in the passenger seat.

They were intimidating but at the same time exciting. She hadn't known the best brand so she'd grabbed one of each, and Charlotte knew that if this feeling in her heart was right, all of those little test would show her two pink lines.

She thought she was pregnant.

The light hanging above her turned green and Charlotte sped away towards the house. Their house. It was hers and it was Graham's. It was Mack's, and maybe they'd be welcoming a fourth to their new family.

Pulling into the driveway, Charlotte hustled inside and went straight into the bathroom. She took a deep breath as she put the pregnancy tests next to the sink and looked at them with a smile. They were pregnant. Well, not officially and not even from a drugstore pregnancy test but Charlotte could simply tell. Her maternal intuition could have been off but she was going to prove herself right. She reached for the first box, reading the directions three times and smiled as she opened the box.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte swallowed hard and checked her watch to see how long she'd have to wait.

She set the stick next to the sink when she was done and nervously spun her wedding band around her finger. About seven seconds passed and Charlotte bit her lip. It was painful. Horribly torturous, and the waiting felt like it would never end. The second hand seemed to be stuck in the same place but Charlotte knew it was her mind playing tricks on her. She just wanted to know. They hadn't been actively trying to get pregnant but they weren't trying not to either. But if you _really _asked them, they were trying.

Charlotte glanced at her watch and knew she had just a little bit longer and her eyes went from her watch to her rings. Her engagement ring and the band she'd spun around her finger just a minute ago. They made her think of Graham and then they made her think of the baby. The potential baby. Would it be a he or she? Brown eyes or green? And what about the hair? Charlotte was short but Graham was tall, and there were a million different questions racing through her head. It wouldn't matter though. Brown or green, tall or short, Charlotte wouldn't care what the mixture was, she didn't, she just wanted to be a mom.

Sighing, and closing her eyes for a moment, Charlotte bit her lip again and slowly leaned over the sink. One line or two? That was the big question.

It was two.

Gasping, Charlotte couldn't contain her smile and picked up the stick to give it a closer look. Yep, there were two lines alright. Two pink lines and they matched the color of her cheeks.

They were pregnant.

Instinctively, Charlotte's hand flew to her stomach and she took a deep breath. "I'm pregnant." It was something she couldn't fully comprehend but she started to walk backwards until her back rested against the wall. Charlotte bit her lip for what seemed like the millionth time and started to smile, then that smile started to turn into a happy laugh. She looked at the bag of tests still on the counter and that laughter died down a bit. Suddenly she wondered if she was getting excited over nothing. What if the first test had been wrong? She pulled out a second test and knew that two positives were better than one.

This time around the waiting felt even longer.

But even with the wait, the results were still the same. There wasn't just one pink line, there were two.

This time Charlotte could feel her eyes welling and it was starting to sink in. They were gonna be parents. Graham was gonna be a dad. The image of him pushing a stroller, changing diapers; it was all too much. But there was never too much of a good thing, and this baby was definitely a good thing.

Side by side, the two positive pregnancy test were sitting on the counter with the best piece of news she'd ever gotten. Charlotte knew this ranked up among the best and telling Graham would be up there too.

Charlotte picked up the two test and stared with a giddy smile on her face. She took a deep breath and shook her head because she couldn't believe it. No, she could, but she couldn't _really_ believe it. Charlotte glanced at the tests again and tried to steady her exploding nerves. Maybe she'd take another test just to be sure. A lot of women took a hand full so a third probably wasn't a bad idea.

This time Charlotte unwrapped the box just as she'd done the others, taken the test the same, and waited for the results the same. Thankfully, time wasn't moving like molasses and the results were ready before she knew it. And just as the other tests had proven, Charlotte was pregnant. There was no denying the third set of pink lines.

She knew that she'd been right this time. Her intuition had been right so far and those three tests were simply evidence to the obvious truth. They. Were. Pregnant.

Thrown from her daze, Charlotte heard the familiar ruffle of an old car pull into the driveway and she quickly looked out the bathroom window. It wasn't Graham's car because his wasn't as loud, and his wasn't a convertible. Feeling herself start to sweat, Charlotte quickly tried to gather up the pregnancy test and wanted to hide anything that might lead Sawyer to assume her cousin had a bun in the oven.

"Charlotte?" Sawyer walked through the front door and pushed her sunglasses up into her hair. "So I was thinking..." The blonde walked into Charlotte and Graham's bedroom just as soon as Charlotte walked out of the bathroom.

Pulling the door with a thud that could have echoed through the neighborhood, the brunette smiled at Sawyer with a surprised smile, "Hey."

"Hey?" Sawyer furrowed her brow because she could tell that Charlotte was...different. "What's going on with the door slamming?"

"Oh uh..." Charlotte looked behind her and shook her head, "I uh..it stinks in there." It was a horrible excuse, and gross at that, but it was the only thing she could think of.

"Ugh, why'd you tell me that?"

Crossing her fingers and resting her hands in front of her stomach, Charlotte shrugged, "Sorry."

Sawyer didn't have the Ivy League education that Charlotte did but she could tell that something was up. She could read body language and she could see a smile start to creep out of her younger cousin's mouth. Instead of asking flat out, Sawyer figured it would be easiest to skate around the subject and see how Charlotte reacted. There weren't any tell-tale signs that Sawyer's theory about a possible pregnancy was correct but she'd poke and pry to get answers. Her cousin did recently get married, and Charlotte and Graham both wanted kids. It wasn't unlikely. "Well aren't you just _glowing_?"

"What? No. No I'm not." Charlotte was in big trouble now. Sawyer could tell. But how? There was no possible way she was showing. "I think I must have gotten sun today."

"At work?" Sawyer laughed and raised her brow.

"I...I gotta go."

Charlotte was really bad a lying too. Sawyer laughed and watched as her friend started to walk out of the bedroom. The blonde followed the brunette and she laughed, "Gotta make a pickles and ice-cream run?"

Looking over her shoulder, Charlotte started to pick up her pace and started to walk-run out of her house.

Sawyer knew that she wasn't going to get verbal confirmation right now, especially if Charlotte just found out. As the two girls quickly got through the house, Charlotte grabbed her purse and her keys by the door and all but ran down the steps.

"You know, I don't think it's good for you to be running and bouncing the baby up and down."

Charlotte immediately stopped and furrowed her brow. Was running down the steps really bad for the baby?

"Ha!" Sawyer pointed at her still cousin and her jaw dropped with excitement, "You're pregnant! Haha, I knew it!"

Narrowing her eyes, Charlotte looked at Sawyer and proceeded to calmly walk to her car. "Maybe."

"Maybe? Charlotte Scott...McFarland doesn't like maybe." As she got in her car, Charlotte saw Sawyer walk up to her window and she rolled it down. "I haven't told anyone."

Sawyer leaned over and rested her forearms on Charlotte's door, "Secret's safe with me, _Mom_." Their long standing joke couldn't have been more perfect. Charlotte was always called Mom because she was the more mature one, the more responsible one, but now it more than fitting. It wasn't because of her character, it was because she was a mom. At least she was going to be. "That baby's lucky, Charlotte." Sawyer was being serious now. "With you and Graham as parents? Kid's gonna grow up with a bad ass family." Charlotte could feel her eyes begin to tear and she nodded. Most people wouldn't have taken that as such a sincere statement but it was. Sawyer kicked her head toward the street, "Go do what you gotta do." Knowing that she could handle her date wardrobe on her own, Sawyer smiled, "I'm happy for you, Char."

"Thanks, Saw."

Charlotte cranked up her car and quickly reversed out out the driveway. There was someone else she wanted to share the happy news with.

**OTHOTH**

As Charlotte drove the same Tree Hill Streets she'd grown up around, she started to imagine the baby growing up just like she did. It was crazy to think that almost two and a half years ago she'd met a boy at a race and now they were married and pregnant. That boy was her husband and if he wasn't out scouting the ocean for people that needed his help Charlotte would be headed to the base. But Charlotte's twenty eight year old husband would be home in about an hour. Meanwhile, there was another person she wanted to talk to.

Driving up the to the house she'd called home for eighteen years, Charlotte parked next to her mother's car and walked in without knocking. "Hello?"

Haley was sitting at the piano working out a melody she'd had stuck in her head and looked up when she heard the voice. "Charlotte?"

"Hi." The brown eyed girl walked further inside the house and smiled when her brown eyes landed on her mother's.

"Hi. What are you doing here?"

A smile was starting to spread across her face as she walked toward her mom. "Nothing. I just wanted to stop by." Haley scooted over so her twenty five year old could sit down next to her and Charlotte put her hands on the black and white keys. "Remember when you taught me how to play?"

"Yeah." Haley laughed and pressed three of the keys, "I think your fingers could only stretch about this far."

Charlotte nodded and played three notes of a soft melody. "I got a little better."

Haley finished the last four notes of the verse Charlotte was playing and smiled at her daughter, "You did." Haley softly ran her fingers over the old keys and she laughed, "You played 'Happy Birthday' for me when I thought your dad had forgotten about my birthday."

Remembering the time when she was fifteen, Charlotte smiled, "And you had no idea he was surprising you."

Haley nodded with a laugh, "But sometimes the best things are surprises. The things you don't expect..."

Taking in her mother's words, Charlotte found her cheeks turning red and her smile widening. The baby wasn't necessarily a surprise for her but it would be a surprise for her mom. "I'm pregnant."

The piano grew quiet and Haley turned to look at her daughter. She didn't speak but her eyes got wide and her brows had lifted halfway up her forehead.

Nodding, Charlotte laughed and smiled, "I'm pregnant."

"Oh, honey..." Haley immediately wrapped her arms around her youngest and felt Charlotte do the same. "When do you find out?"

Still wrapped up in her mother's embrace, Charlotte leaned in close, "Today. I was pretty sure before I took the tests and they all came up positive. I mean I haven't gone to the doctor yet but, I can feel it."

The tears in Haley's eyes were well on their way to rolling down her cheeks. "You're gonna have a baby?"

"I'm gonna have a baby." Charlotte nodded. She couldn't see her mom's face but heard the emotion in her throat. She knew her mom was crying. The younger brown eyed beauty pulled back and used her thumb to wipe her own tears away, "I'm gonna be a mom."

Haley's eyes softened and she raised her hand to the side of Charlotte's head, "You're gonna be a great mom."

Leaning into her mother's touch, Charlotte nodded, "I wanna be like you."

If Haley wasn't emotional already, that did her in. She didn't know what to say but she pulled Charlotte in for another hug. In her mind, Haley was seeing a montage of images from Charlotte's life. She was three, and she was seven, she was thirteen, and she was graduating high school, she was a freshman in college and she was engaged. She was married and now she was gonna be a mom. They said that time really flies but Haley had Charlotte's whole life flash before her eyes and she realized that her daughter had turned out exactly how she wanted. She was happy and healthy, she had a wonderful husband and they were going to have a wonderful family. "I love you, Charlotte."

Squeezing her arms around her mom, Charlotte nodded, "I love you too, Mom."

The mother and daughter stayed like that for a while. They took in the news and they took in the space. Haley was going to be a grandmother for the third time and Charlotte was on her way to having the family she'd always wanted.

Haley finally pulled away and brushed her cheeks with the back of her hand, "Okay, okay. Happy tears, Happy tears." She laughed and looked to her pregnant daughter. "I'm gonna look like a mess when your dad gets home."

Charlotte laughed and nodded, "Me too." She looked at her watched and her eyes went wide, "Oh gosh, I should get going. Graham's gonna be home in a little bit."

Getting up from the piano bench, both Charlotte and Haley walked towards the front door. Haley found herself staring at Charlotte's stomach and she couldn't help but smile. "Charlotte?"

Thinking about the fact that she was going to tell her husband the happy news, Charlotte's face was beaming as she looked over her shoulder. "Yeah."

Haley hugged her daughter before she spoke and took a deep breath. Her mouth was close to Charlotte's ear and whispered, "Congratulations."

Nodding as she pulled away, Charlotte smiled and started to quickly walk to the car. She was about to tell a husband one of the most important things he might ever hear in his life.

It didn't take long to get back home and when Charlotte didn't see Graham's Tahoe she knew he wasn't home yet. When she got inside Charlotte paced the foyer wondering how she could tell him but her thoughts were slow and Graham was faster. Glancing out the window, Charlotte saw him pull up and she opened up the door. She walked out on the porch and leaned against the banister.

Graham shut his door and smiled at her when he started walking toward their house, "Hey."

"Hey." Charlotte bit her lip because she could feel her excitement shade her cheeks and brighten her smile.

Noticing that his bride was smiling about something, Graham looked at her and furrowed her brow, "What's going on?"

His blue uniform was looking extra good and the way he was looking at her was even better. Graham walked up the few steps and when they were eye level, Charlotte rested her arms on his shoulders, "Hey." It was more of a soft whisper and Graham felt his heart start to race. What was going on?

He kissed her, "Good day at work?"

Charlotte was still smiling like a giddy little girl and she shrugged with a smirk. She couldn't hold it in anymore and it just slipped out, "I'm pregnant."

It took about ten seconds for Graham to comprehend what Charlotte had just told him but she said it again to confirm his thoughts. She wrapped her hands around his neck and her finger's dipped into his finely cut hair, "We're pregnant."

He was in shock but he laughed with a childish grin and rested his forehead against hers, "We're pregnant?"

Charlotte nodded and even if he was on a lower step she still had to get on her tiptoes to kiss him. "Yeah." She bit her lip and her brown eyes opened up to his green ones. "You're gonna be a dad."

"God, I love you." He kissed her and put his arms around her side and lifted her off the ground, "I love you so much."

Letting out a squeal when he'd picked up her, Charlotte laughed and kissed him again, "This baby is gonna love you, and I love you, too."

The feeling that he was gonna be dad was something Graham couldn't describe. The only moment he'd ever felt so overcome with love and excitement was the moment he saw Charlotte walking down the aisle last month. He'd thought that moment had taken his breath away and stolen his heart. Graham smiled and put his hand on her stomach. They were having a baby. A little piece of him, and a little piece of her. It was them together and it was the beginning of a family they'd dreamed of.

Charlotte had gone to the doctor's office a few days later to get confirmation but he ended up telling her the thing she'd known all along. They were pregnant. Still newlyweds, Charlotte and Graham knew that a baby would be demanding. Dirty diapers, sleepless night, but it was all going to be worth it. Watching baby McFarland smile, sit up for the first time, crawl, walk; there were so many things the young couple were excited about and it wouldn't matter how restless or tiring parenthood got. They were ready to face whatever it threw at them.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was on the phone in her office talking to one of the school administrators and saw Graham step into her doorway. She smiled and used her finger to tell him that she'd just be a minute longer.

"Yes sir, I've got all the brochures printed out. Everything's ready." Charlotte listened to the man yap in her ear and she made a funny face at Graham. He laughed and looked at her desk. The plate with her new name still sent rush of blood to his heart. Charlotte Scott McFarland. Mrs. McFarland to the students but baby mama could work for him. Charlotte sighed and nodded, "Okay, great. I'll see you in the morning." She hung up the phone and laughed, "Sorry."

Graham watched her get up and her three month belly was protruding just a little and Charlotte looked good pregnant. The pencil skirt and blouse were accentuating her belly in all the right places and she was beautiful.

"Dr. Spencer wanted to make sure everything was ready for the D.A.R.E program tomorrow. The parents are coming to the assembly. It's madness around here."

She was gonna start to ramble about work if he let her go on but they might miss their appointment. Graham smiled at her and grinned, "You ready?"

Reaching for her purse and her keys, Charlotte nodded, "I've just got to sign out." She was leaving early for the day, and when she shut her door she walked out into the hallways and couldn't help but smile at all the eyes falling on her husband. He was handsome, she could give the teenage girls that. But he was hers.

"I'm getting stared at, aren't I?"

Charlotte laughed and slipped her hand in his, "It's what you get for wearing your outfit in a high school with teenage girls around." She leaned into his shoulder and looked up to him, "It's kinda irresistible."

Graham laughed and nodded, "I do seem to remember you liking it."

"Mmm-huh." She laughed with him as they walked out and Graham being Graham opened up her door. It was something she'd gotten used to but never stopped appreciating. There was something so romantic about it.

The drive to the doctor's office was just like everything else in Tree Hill. Short. They got into the waiting room and saw a few other expectant couples and mothers. Their timing had been great and the McFarlands didn't have to wait long. A nurse had called Charlotte's name and the couple walked back to an exam room together.

Graham wasn't exactly loving the décor in the rooms. Diagrams of Fallopian tubes and a uterus, a model of a vagina; and Graham was feeling a little more than uncomfortable.

Charlotte could see his awkward looks and she smiled, "I was thinking we could put some of these up in the baby's room."

His eyes turned to her and were as wide as the moon.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding." Charlotte laughed at him and shook her head. "Blue or pink sound better?"

Graham nodded and walked closer to the exam chair she was sitting on, "But you don't really like pink."

She'd just said blue and pink for imagery off it and loved that he knew she wasn't a fan of pink. "Yellow for a girl? Maybe a pale green or lavender?"

Nodding, Graham smiled, "Whatever you want." He looked at a few of the charts across the room and then looked back to his wife, "When do we find that out, anyway?"

"Not for a couple more months."

"I bet it's a girl."

Charlotte smiled and arched her brow, "What makes you say that?"

Graham shrugged, "Lane was first and she was a girl. My grandfather had a girl first and I think my great-grandfather had a girl first." Laughing, Graham shook his head, "And if Crawford has any illegitimate beach babies, I bet the first one is a girl."

"Oh, stop." Charlotte swatted at him and laughed, "Crawford does not have illegitimate beach babies."

"Never know." Graham laughed and he looked at her belly. "I say it's a girl."

Charlotte secretly loved the fact that he thought they were having a girl and that he seemed excited about it. Most guys held out for a boy. Charlotte's hands rested on her bump and she was the one to guess. "I'm carrying a little low so I'm gonna go with a boy."

Graham loved the idea of a son just as much as a daughter but he was convinced it was a girl, "Agree to disagree?"

She smiled and shrugged again, "If we must."

The door of the exam room opened and the doctor came in with Charlotte's chart.

"Hi, Doctor Walker."

The thirty-something year old son of the man who'd delivered her smiled, "How you feeling, Charlotte?" He nodded at the mother-to-be and shook Graham's hand, "She's not sending you out in the middle of the night still?"

Graham laughed and and nodded, "Sometimes."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and pushed up her shirt. "It's only on Wednesday nights, really. Which is weird. Do a lot of pregnant women get cravings on a schedule?"

Doctor Walker laughed, "Oh you'd be surprised. It can happen in just about any fashion. Randomly. Scheduled. Friday afternoons at about one thirty I'd get a call from my wife when she was pregnant." He picked up the tube of jelly and waited for Charlotte to pull her her shirt. "Oysters and powdered donuts."

Hearing the combination almost made Charlotte throw up. That sounded nasty, not to mention the fact that she hated oysters.

"Together?" Graham looked equally as grossed out.

Dr. Walker laughed and shook his head, "No, no. Luckily she wasn't _that_ hormonal."

"I don't think we'll have to worry about oysters." Smiling at Charlotte, Graham knew that she hated those things.

Placing the probe on Charlotte's belly, Dr. Walker pointed toward the screen. "We'll see a pretty good picture of the baby up here."

Both Charlotte and Graham looked at the dark screen and Graham reached for Charlotte's hand. They'd had one other appointment where they didn't see much of anything but this time they would see more than a fluttering heartbeat and things that didn't look anything like a tiny human. The machine started to echo the baby and Charlotte's heartbeat and Dr. Walker nodded, "Strong beats for you both." He put his finger on the screen and traced the outline of its head, "Here's the baby's head."

"It's so big." Graham had never seen a picture like that or really taken time to study it and he was in awe. Not only because of the baby's appearance but that he was looking at the little life he and Charlotte had created.

Dr. Walker nodded, "The heads do look big when babies first start growing, but it's perfectly normal." Checking the heart rate and the other statistics, Dr. Walker smiled, "In fact, I'd say you two are doing really well. Mom and baby are in great shape."

Charlotte looked up to Graham and felt him squeeze her hand.

"How many pictures?"

"As many as you can print." Charlotte laughed and knew that there were a ton of people who would want a visible picture of the baby.

The doctor smiled and while he was working on getting them some pictures, someone knocked on the door.

And older man white white hair who looked to be in his sixties stuck his head in the room and he smiled, "Hi, Charlotte."

"Hi, Doctor Walker!"

The man who had delivered her over twenty five years ago stepped into the room and smiled, "Well, I'll be." The older Dr. Walker walked further into the exam room and patted his son's shoulders, "Mike said you'd be in today."

"Yes, sir." Charlotte couldn't help but adore the older man's smile. If he wasn't retired she would have loved for him to be her doctor.

"You take good care of this one, son." Doctor Walker nodded at his boy and turned to Graham.

"Oh, Graham, this is Doctor Walker. He was mom's doctor." Charlotte looked at her husband and then to the older white haired man to introduce the two.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Graham shook the older doctor's hand and smiled.

"I wanted to stop by and congratulate you. Both of you." Doctor Walker nodded and then turned to the girl, "I remember when you were just this big." He held his hands in the cradled position and looked to Charlotte with kind eyes, "Now you're gonna have one on your own? Time really does fly."

Charlotte's doctor had finished printing out the ultrasound photos and she put them in an envelop. His father knew that he should get going so he didn't interrupt the rest of the appointment, "Tell your mom and dad that I said hello."

"I will."

The older Dr. Walker started to leave the room and the younger smiled at his father, "Bye, Dad." He looked back to Charlotte and laughed, "The old man was always real fond of all _his_ babies." Handing Charlotte the envelope, Dr. Walker nodded, "We'll schedule you for another ultrasound at twenty weeks."

"Great, okay." Charlotte felt her doctor wipe off any of the remaining goop and Dr. Walker said his goodbyes and shook Graham's hand.

Graham pointed to the envelope in Charlotte's hand, "We'll probably have to make copies."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "I know." The had a pretty big family and the best part about that was that they were all close. If they weren't in Tree Hill they were up on the Outer Banks but that place had become a home away from home and taking the picture up to Graham's parents over the weekend would be something they'd look forward to.

Helping her off the chair, Charlotte and Graham left the exam room. Charlotte went a head and scheduled the best time for her next appointment and the eager soon-to-be parents walked to Graham's car.

When they got home it was close to dinner time but Charlotte flopped down on the bed instead of wanting to cook anything. "Mmm, tacos." She closed her eyes and leaned into the pillows, "Mmm or hamburgers."

Graham started to unbutton his shirt and laughed, "Both?"

Smiling, Charlotte shook her head, "Tacos. Yeah, let's do tacos."

Crawling on the bed next to her, Graham kissed her shoulder, "I can get tacos."

"Extra beef."

He kissed her other shoulder and arched his brow, " and extra sour cream?"

Charlotte nodded, "And cheese dip. No...re-fried beans."

"Tacos..." Graham kissed her cheek and his hands landed on her belly, "Extra beef..." He kissed her on the other cheek, "Extra sour cream." Graham landed his mouth on hers and leaned into her so his stomach was touching hers, "and re-friend beans."

Putting her hands on his sides, Charlotte smiled, "Is that okay with you?"

"I'm eating whatever you and the baby want." Graham moved down to her belly and rested his cheek against her shirt and whispered something.

Charlotte looked down at him and furrowed her brow, "What'd you say?"

He shook his head, "Nothing."

It hadn't been nothing and Charlotte wouldn't find out what it was, but it was sweet and endearing nonetheless. Watching him talk to the baby was more than Charlotte could have imagined. There was nothing sweeter in the world.

Charlotte felt her stomach start to growl and she laughed, "How about those tacos?" Her stomach growled again and she laughed, "Baby's orders."

Graham raised his hand toward his brow and saluted, "Loud and clear, Lieutenant." He started to get off of the bed and quickly changed into his civilian clothes to go pick up dinner. After he grabbed his wallet Graham walked over to the bed and placed a sweet kiss on Charlotte's forehead. "I'll be back in a minute."

She nodded and leaned further into the pillows, "Don't hold it against me if I fall asleep."

Shaking his head, Graham kissed her one more time and left the house to pick up dinner. Charlotte laid in bed thinking about their appointment and reached over to the bedside table where she'd put the pictures. Her eyes traced the image of the baby and she started to smile. Just about six more months and they'd get to meet him or her.

Thirty minutes later Graham walked into their home and carried the take out bag into the kitchen. Charlotte must have still been in their room so he walked that way food in hand. When he got to the door he could see that she was on her side and softly sleeping with all the lights on. There wasn't a woman in the world who could make him feel as lucky as he did right now. She was beautiful. Her shirt was wrinkled and she was still in the pencil skirt. Her hair was loose around her shoulders and her chest rose and fell with a steady rhythm.

"Charlotte?" He whisper spoke as he walked into the bedroom and sat down on the bed. She squirmed a little bit and he watched as she dug her cheek further into the pillow. "I have tacos." He thought that the food would have woken up but she was out like a light. If she didn't need to eat, or already had he would have been fine leaving her be, but mama and baby McFarland needed sustenance. "Charlotte? Baby, wake up."

Her eyelids fluttered and she squinted in the light, "Huh?"

He smiled at her and watched as she slowly sat up, "You fell asleep."

She laughed as she yawned and ran her hand over her face, "Sorry."

Graham shook his head, "I have dinner."

Charlotte wanted to smile but suddenly she felt nauseous. Those tacos that had sounded so good earlier were now her worst enemy. "Ugh..." She got up off the bed and ran into the bathroom.

Now knowing what caused her to get sick, Graham checked his underarms and furrowed his brow, "You okay?"

The toilet flushed and Charlotte winced, "Those...those tacos...the smell."

Graham looked at the bag on the bed and furrowed his brow, "That tacos?"

"Yeah." Charlotte tried not to think about the smell, something about the beef, or it could have been the taco spices were making her head spin and her stomach cramp.

The bag on the bed disappeared when Graham reached for it and walked out of the bedroom. If it was the smell that was bothering her then the best thing to do was to take their dinner outside, so he did. Graham put the take out on the porch swing and walked back inside. When he made it to the bedroom, he checked on Charlotte. "You okay?"

She was holding her nose and shook her head, "I'm sorry. I didn't know that I wouldn't be able to handle the taco smell." It seemed comical but pregnancy made people do crazy things. "Will...will you hand me that shirt?" Charlotte pointed to the shirt he'd worn earlier and caught it when he threw it at her. She raised it to her face an breathed him in. Smelling Graham was just about the only thing that could make the taco scent go away.

"You want me to make us dinner?"

Feeling bad that she'd messed up their taco night, Charlotte furrowed her brow, "You don't have to."

"Nah, it's fine. I'll go fix us something that doesn't smell like tacos."

Graham went into the kitchen and started to work on dinner while Charlotte tried to ease her stomach with calm breaths and a few sips of water. Their bedroom still smelled of tacos since Graham had brought them in the room so Charlotte held his shirt up like a mask when she walked through.

"You feeling better?" He flipped the sandwiches in the skillet and smiled.

Grilled Cheeses? Charlotte loved grilled cheeses and she loved Graham. "Yeah, much better." She laughed and shook her head, "I don't know if I can sleep in there, though?"

Realizing that the smell must have lingered in their bedroom, Graham rolled his eyes at himself, "I shouldn't have taken the food in there."

"You didn't know. I didn't know." Charlotte walked closer to him and shook her head, "It's fine."

Graham plated the non smelly sandwiches and handed Charlotte a plate. "Not my best, but..."

She shook her head and took a bite, "It's perfect."

They walked into the living room and they sat on their oversized couch while they talked about that baby and work, and everything else that was on their minds.

Charlotte had finished her sandwich and was eyeing Graham's last bite.

"You want it, don't you?"

Her cheeks suddenly started to roast and she laughed, "Yeah?"

He smiled and handed her the rest of his sandwich. "Have at it."

Charlotte gladly finished his sandwich and sighed heavily when she was done. She shuffled her position on the couch and laid her head on his chest. "Best grilled cheese maker."

Wrapping his arm around her, Graham laughed, "Something the kids will like, I guess?"

Her eyes were closed and she was struggling to stay away but she nodded, "They'll love it." She nodded and her cheek was firmly pressed against his body.

If Graham could have stayed like that forever he would have. He had everything on that couch he'd ever need. Charlotte was next to him, she was carrying their child, and Mack was even around. Their golden retriever wasn't on the couch but he was asleep next to it. And pretty soon Graham followed his wife's suit. They were all asleep. All four of them.

**OTHOTH**

The April spring storms were rolling in clouds and Haley pulled along the curb next to her son's house. Charlotte leaned over and pressed the horn and watched Haley furrow her brow. Liza had probably seen them pull up and they didn't really need the horn. It was more of an obnoxious noise that was made for traffic, not an alarm.

Liza, Haley and Charlotte were going out for a girl's day. Sawyer would have come if she liked shopping for things other than music, Brooke was on a short trip to L.A. with Julian and Peyton was busy making sure Sawyer stayed on task at Tric. Headed towards the mall to shop for maternity clothes, Babies R' Us to register for baby shower gifts and then lunch, the two Scotts and one McFarland were ready for a busy morning.

"Hi." Liza opened up the door and slid into the backseat.

"Hi." A four months along Charlotte turned around to face her sister in law and smiled, "Ready to do baby stuff?"

Strapping on her seat belt, Liza laughed, "I'm always ready for baby stuff." She laughed, "I feel like I was doing this with Claire a few days ago. And now, what? She's faster going up the stairs than I am?"

"Baby gates!" Charlotte's eyes went big. "Can't forget to tag those today."

Haley nodded and the three women drove toward the mall. Turns out the maternity clothes that were for sale at the major retail outlets weren't anything special and definitely not cute. They'd spent about an hour or so trying to find cute outfits but nothing was standing out.

"I guess I'll just have to get used to wearing Graham's button downs." Charlotte walked around a few of the racks and frowned.

"Tell me about it. I think that was my wardrobe most of the time with both Bennet and Claire."

Haley looked across the store and saw the Polo section, "Men's department, then?"

Charlotte nodded and the three women found themselves going through the soft button downs. "I'll just get him to wear them first. He can break them in and I'll get them afterwords."

Tossing a package of boxer-briefs in the cart, Haley laughed, "And I know you might think otherwise right now but these will save your life." She nodded, "The waistband won't dig into your skin and they wash up really soft."

Liza reached over to grab an extra pair for Charlotte and dropped them in, "They really do."

Charlotte laughed at her mom and sister in law. She'd never really thought of wearing mens' underwear while she was pregnant but considering the women giving her advice had been through four pregnancies, Charlotte figured they knew what they were taking about.

"Now that we've raided the men's section, I think we've gotten our fill." Charlotte looked to all the clothes better fit for Graham than her and she laughed. "Let's buy this stuff and get to Babies R' Us, the good stuff."

Haley laughed at her daughter and the threesome went to pay. Registering for baby stuff was next on the list. So armed with two registry zappers, Liza and Charlotte walked around the store while Haley got out a list and a pen.

"Ooh, look at this." Liza walked over to the diaper pail and nodded, "This is a must. You're house won't stink."

"Zap it." Charlotte nodded and watched Liza pointed the red laser toward the bar code.

"What about strollers, Charlotte?" Haley pointed to the first aisle, "They're right there."

Walking before answering, Charlotte nodded, "Graham and I were looking online and I think we want the Graco one that has the blue handle. I'll know it when I see it."

For the next thirty minutes, the women zapped and zapped some more baby necessities and then they walked down the bath aisle.

Liza started to laugh and walked toward the self, "For Graham's sake get these. I know you don't know if it's a boy or girl, but you'll have a boy one of these days. Jamie got sprayed just about every time he changed Bennet's diaper." Liza held out the pee-pee tent and nodded, "Best invention ever."

Charlotte started to laugh hysterically because the image of her brother getting peed on was hilarious. "Are you kidding?"

"No." Liza laughed, "I always came out dry as the desert but..."

"I think little boys do it to their dad's on purpose." Haley nodded, "Your dad got hit a few times."

"Ew!" Charlotte laughed and they walked down the aisle. While her mom and Liza were just a head of her looking at the other merchandise, Charlotte felt her back start to hurt and she stretched as she walked. Her feet were already hurting her and she knew that it was gonna be a shorter day than they thought. But Charlotte being bound and determined to get the registration done, mustered through the discomfort and when the girls got to lunch sitting down was a welcomed relief.

Liza was glancing at the menu and then to Charlotte, "Still no on tacos?"

"Yeah." Charlotte's eyes widened and she nodded.

"I think we all have a smell that does it for us when we're pregnant. Mine was eggs, I think Brooke's was shrimp, and what was yours, Liza? Cherries?"

"Ugh, yeah, but not an actual cherries. Fake flavored cherry stuff. Drinks, candy, ugh, any of it."

Charlotte shifted in her chair because her back was starting to bother her again and she wiggled it around to get comfortable.

"You okay?" Haley looked from Liza to her daughter.

"Yeah, I'm fine. My feet are making my back hurt. They've been swelling non stop for the last week or so."

Liza's eyes went wide, "Tell me about it. When I was pregnant with Bennet I was still running around the hospital until I was two weeks away from delivering. I think I went up two shoe sizes."

Haley started to laugh and remembered the _perks_ of pregnancy.

The food came and went and by the time the girls had laughed about more of those perks, the girls were ready to go. Charlotte had downed about four glasses of ice water while they'd eaten and considering she was pregnant that meant her bladder was about to explode. "I'll meet you two in the car. I'm about to wet my pants."

Haley didn't particularly want to hear that, too much information, but she nodded.

"Yeah, me too." Liza wasn't pregnant but she'd taken in her fill of beverages over lunch.

The younger girls went to the bathroom and Haley walked just outside to call Nathan.

As girls normally did, Charlotte and Liza talked across the stalls and Jamie's wife was the first to finish. "So I think we did really well today. I think you registered for just about everything you could register for." Liza dipped her hands under the water and scrubbed her hands with a methodical rhythm. Considering she was a pediatric nurse, washing her hands was more than a common practice. And there were definitely certain and appropriate ways to do it. "Y'all are gonna do it at your parents house, right? The baby shower I mean?" Liza dried her hands off and checked the mirror as she waited for Charlotte's response. "Charlotte? The baby shower is gonna be at your mom and dad's, right?" It wasn't schedule for couple more months but Liza was curious.

The twenty five year old brunette who'd been mute was looking down and all she saw was red. Charlotte knew that spotting was sometimes common but how much blood meant too much blood? Scared and worried, Charlotte hadn't been listening to anything Liza had been saying.

"Charlotte? You okay? Did you fall in?" She laughed and walked toward the locked stall her husband's sister was in.

Shaking her head, Charlotte looked at her bloody fingertips and and started to shake her head, "Li...Liza."

"Yeah."

"I'm bleeding." Charlotte swallowed hard and her heart started to pound ferociously out of her chest.

Liza walked quickly in front of Charlotte's stall and frowned, "What?"

"Help me."

The way Charlotte's voice broke with those two simple words had Liza in a panic. She was a trained pediatric nurse, she saw crisis all the time. But this was different. This was one of her best friends, Jaime's little sister. Charlotte was family. Liza pulled on the handle but it was locked, "Charlotte, unlock it."

When the door opened, Liza's first thought was to stay calm. If she started to get worried then Charlotte would get worried. "Are you in pain?" She glanced at Charlotte's four month belly with a serious look.

"I... My back's been hurting."

Liza saw the trail of blood from Charlotte's leg and she took a deep breath, "How long?"

Charlotte's eyes started to water because she knew that Liza was asking about how long she'd been bleeding. "It had just started, but...it's getting worse."

Checking Charlotte's pulse on her wrist, Liza took a deep breath and started to move quickly. "We've got to go." She hurried over to the paper towel dispenser and opened it up to get the whole role.

An emotional wreck plagued by the thought that something was horribly wrong, Charlotte started to gather herself and she walked out of the stall. Her pants started to feel damp and so where Charlotte's cheeks. "Liza?"

The mother of two looked at her sister in law and knew what Charlotte was asking but Liza wasn't ready to answer that. "We've got to get you to the hospital."

As quietly as possible, and without making much of a scene, Liza ushered Charlotte outside and they saw Haley on the phone.

"Nathan, I've got to go." Haley felt her stomach drop when she saw Charlotte keeled over and Liza's bloody hands.

"Hospital. We've got to get to the hospital."

Haley was trying to comprehend what was going on but knew that if she were to listen to anyone it would be Liza. She was the one who worked in the medical field.

Liza and Charlotte were in the back seat and Haley was driving.

"Deep breaths, Charlotte. Just breathe." Liza could tell that Charlotte was scared out of her mind and emotionally fragile.

"Mom?"

Haley felt a tear glide down her cheek because the way Charlotte asked for her was heartbreaking. But there was nothing she could do. Haley knew what was happening and she started to cry as she started the car, pulling out of the parking lot toward the hospital.

Charlotte felt helpless. Liza was trying to tell her do to things but none of it was making sense. There wasn't a light at the end of this tunnel. Her world was crashing down on her and the very air in her lungs was starting to disappear. This couldn't be happening. Everything was great at the last check up. She was healthy. The baby was healthy. Charlotte wanted to wake up from this bad dream. But when she felt her back spiral with a pain she'd never felt, Charlotte knew that it wasn't a dream, it was a living nightmare.

So much for happily ever after.

**OTHOTH**

**Do you hate me? How many of y'all saw this coming? I would have put a warning at the top of the chapter but that would have spoiled things. Next chapter we'll see what exactly is happening/happened. I know I just pulled the rug out from under you but hang in there guys. Things will get better.**

**My reviewers are the reason I stayed up way to late to write and finish this. Thank you so much for the support!**

**Laura: I'm glad you liked the nod to Brooke's Naley wedding speech last chapter, and Haley's pinky ring. Are chicken cutlets a nod to the show too? LOL I don't even know, ha. But I try my best to add in throwbacks to the stories/chapters, so I'm glad you liked it.**

**BDavis: I'm glad you thought the wedding was perfect. I'm so glad you liked everything!**

**Lalala: Ha, yay, someone who knows Steel Magnolias. Hopefully I'll get to add that bit in Jamie's wedding chapter but I'm not sure if I'll cut it or not. I call Charlotte and Graham just Charlotte and Graham but I'll use Gramlotte from time to time. Use that if you're looking for a name.**

**Joan: Haha, I don't know if they deserve a show by themselves, but I surely appreciate the compliment. I'm so glad you liked Bennet. I have a lot of fun writing kids.**

**Anna****: Thanks for reviewing.**

**Please Review!**


	18. Take My Hand

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 18: Take My Hand**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the OTH pie.**

**A/N: Alright guys this chapter will pick up where the last one stopped. You'll find out what happens with Charlotte and the baby. I didn't warn you last time...so if you _think_ you _might_ need it, grab a tissue just in case.**

**This chapter also references something that happened in LM chapters 21 and 77 (the revamp), so read those if you have questions regarding Haley's medical history.  
**

**OTHOTH**

The helicopter was about to touch the ground and Graham unstrapped his seat belt when he felt the chopper shake as they landed. Captain Billings powered down and the sound the blades made as they slowed was music to Graham's ears. He loved listening to those things go. Cutting the wind with all their might, they were a force of nature that was more than impressive.

"Good run, boys." Flipping off the appropriate switches, Captain Billings looked to his co-pilot and the crew in the back. "Same thing tomorrow."

Drew slid open the door and the fresh air floated through the cabin as the guys got out.

A girl dressed in uniform was holding a slip of paper and ran over to Graham, "McFarland, you've got a messa..." Her voice was cut off as the helicopter overpowered her.

Leaning close to Megan, Graham furrowed his brow as he raised his voice, "What?" He took the memo in his hands but didn't look at it.

"Charlotte's in the hospital!" Megan had to yell over the noise. When her eyes locked into Graham's she could see the fear and worry.

Tossing his gear off his shoulders, Graham didn't even look back as he ran towards his car. He didn't know what was wrong and he didn't know what the problem was, but there was a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him something was wrong, horribly wrong. He made it to his car in record time but his hands were shaking so much that he had a hard time cranking it. When he heard the engine roar to life he peeled out of his space and honked for Willie to open the gate.

"Willie, open it up. Open it up!"

The old man saw the white Tahoe barreling towards him and Willie got that gate out of the way just in time.

Graham reached for his phone that he'd kept in his car and was trying to see if he had missed calls and texts. The messages didn't give him any information or specifics but whatever had happened, happened when he was flying over the sea. It had been about three hours since the first call and Graham's heart was sinking as he realize that he'd let Charlotte deal with whatever it was without him for so long. He knew that she was spending the day with Liza and Haley so she wasn't alone but he wasn't there. The one person she probably needed, and he wasn't there. It left Graham with a pressure on his heart.

A few miles down the road, the hospital was about as frantic a place as Graham's state of mind.

Charlotte was lying in a hospital bed listening to her heartbeat on the monitor and she felt a tear slide down her cheek. Her mom had just left the room and the only one with her right now was her dad. He'd been on the phone with Haley when the madness began and he'd come just as soon as he'd gotten a hold of Haley on the phone again. He'd come not only for Charlotte but for his wife too. She was a wreck. Both of his girls were a wreck.

"Charlotte..."

She shook her head and closed her eyes. She didn't want to talk to anybody. She didn't want to be there. The only thing she wanted to happen was for everything to be a bad dream. But this nightmare was far from a dream. The harsh reality had crept up on her like a thief in the night and took something away. Something from her and something from Graham.

Nathan felt as helpless as the time Haley had been hit by Daunte's car all those years ago. He knew that his daughter was hurting and that she wanted to forget everything that had happened. He knew that but he couldn't just watch her cry. "Can I get you anything?"

Silent, Charlotte shook her head and looked out the window and up to the blue sky. At least it was a pretty day. Outside the warm spring afternoon littered the streets of downtown Tree Hill but Charlotte could feel a storm brewing inside her chest. There were clouds in her heart and she was crying a steady rain. Her day had turned upside down in an instant.

"Char, it's gonna be okay." Nathan reached for Charlotte's hand and nodded.

"Dad..." Charlotte's voice cracked and she had to wipe away her tears as she shook her head.

It was breaking his heart to see her so broken and he knew that the only thing he could do was be strong. Strong for her, strong for Haley, and strong for himself. Nathan would stay there and comfort her as long as she needed, as long as she wanted. He'd always told himself that he'd protect her. But this was something he couldn't prevent. Nobody could.

It was up in the air as to how much time had passed before those elevator doors opened but Graham rushed out looking, searching for his wife. His eyes were scanning the floor for anyone who could lead him in the right direction and he saw someone who'd could help. "Liza? Liza?" He started her way and looked around, "Where is she. Are they okay?"

Liza had changed into some scrubs because her clothes had been ruined in the car and she looked more like a nurse than she ever had before. She looked to Graham and felt her heart start to hurt. Everything had just happened so fast and Jamie's wife took a deep breath. "Charlotte's okay. They're keeping her for a few more hours for observation."

"Wh...what happened?"

Not knowing if she needed to give him the details, Liza turned to look over her shoulder towards Charlotte's room. "We were at lunch and she started to experience some bleeding." _Some_ was an understatement but she didn't want to give him more than he could handle.

"Is the baby okay?" Graham wanted to know about their unborn son or daughter.

"When we got here Charlotte had lost a lot of blood. I got her with the doctors as fast as I could." The mother of two took a deep breath and could see it on Graham's face. He knew. He could tell what the answer was.

Graham didn't know how to process the information he was receiving and when he saw his mother in law walking up the hall with swollen brown eyes his heart fell to his feet. There was a lump in his throat and he saw a room just a head of them that had the door partially opened. "Is it that one?" He saw Liza nod and Graham went straight to Charlotte.

When he walked into the room Nathan stood up and knew that he should give the couple some time alone. Charlotte was turned the other direction and looked over when she heard the door shut. Her brown eyes met Graham's green ones and she started to feel her chin quiver. "I..." Charlotte shook her head and she didn't want to finish what she had to say. She took a deep breath and felt her tears run without hesitation, "I...I lost the baby." Raising her palms to cover her face, Charlotte cried into her hands.

Graham could feel his heart crumble as he watched the woman he loved breakdown. "Charlotte..."

"I don't know what happened." She exhaled and sniffed as the breath caught in her throat. "I don't know how...why?"

"Shh..." Graham sat down on her bed and shook his head and soothingly ran his hand over the side of her head, "We're gonna be okay." He wasn't sure how long it would take but he had to be the strong one right now. She was breaking with each breath and it was killing him. "It's gonna be okay."

Biting her lip, Charlotte shook her head, "I don't know, Graham. I don't know." Memories of the D&C she'd had just an hour ago were penetrating her very core and Charlotte's tears fell faster and harder. "Everything happened all at once. I...I..."

"Hey, shh, come here." He pulled her into his body and wrapped his arms around her. Graham could tell that her cheeks were getting his shirt wet but he didn't care. He just wanted Charlotte to feel better, to feel safe, to feel like the big bad world couldn't hurt her in his arms. That's all he wanted.

Holding on to her husband for dear life, Charlotte didn't want to let go. He was making their situation bearable and she didn't want him to move. And they didn't. Not for a while at least. It was more than either of them could say and it was the best thing they could do. Physically holding each other up, neither Charlotte nor Graham knew the magnitude of support that it gave one another.

Nurses came in to check on Charlotte and after a while and they told her it wouldn't be long before she was discharged. The doctor met with the couple to let them know that Charlotte would need to schedule an appointment with her gynecologist to make sure everything had gone as expected with her dilation and curettage. They'd been monitoring her due to her blood loss but everything seemed to be fine now. He didn't have an answer about how or why it happened, but that miscarriages were common, even in the second trimester. They happened without warning and without prejudice. It happened to the young and it happened to the old. Either way, it wasn't something they could have stopped or planned for.

When it was time for Charlotte to get out of the claustrophobic, smelly, haunting hospital, Graham let her nurse unhook her monitors and help her into the wheelchair while he went to pull the car around.

"Hey..." Liza walked up to Graham with a sympathetic smile, "Are they about to release her?"

"Yeah. I was gonna get the car."

"I'll do it." Liza nodded and looked back to Charlotte's room. "Stay with her and I'll get it. Is it the main parking garage?"

Pulling his keys from his pocket, Graham handed them to Jamie's wife, "Yeah. The third level."

"Alright." The youngest Mrs. Scott took the keys and started to walk for the elevators.

"Liza?" Graham took a deep breath and saw her turn around. "Thank you." It wasn't a thank you for only getting the car. It was a thank you for everything she'd done.

She simply nodded back. Liza didn't need his thanks, she wanted him to make sure her sister in law was okay. Graham was the one Charlotte needed by her side. Pulling the car around was the least Liza could do. In reality it was just another something she'd done that day in hopes of helping out Jamie's little sister but she wasn't the kind looking for gratitude. Liza was doing it because she wanted to.

Graham walked back into Charlotte's room and looked at her parents who thought they'd be wheeling her down to the car, "Liza's gonna get it."

Realizing that they could offer little assistance with the rest of things, Nathan and Haley knew that it was time to say goodbye to Charlotte. She was in good hands with Graham. He could take care of her.

"Bye, baby. Call me if you need anything." Haley leaned down and hugged Charlotte.

Nathan had his hand on his daughter's shoulder and gave it a gentle squeeze, "Love you, Charlotte."

Looking up to her parents, Charlotte could see the pain in their eyes and it was hard for her to speak. She thought she was over the crying phase but apparently it was going to last a while. "Bye." She did manage to quietly say goodbye and Charlotte watched her mom and dad walk away.

After she was wheeled downstairs, Graham helped her in the car and they drove home encompassed with a disturbing silence. Graham was stopped at a stop light and saw that Charlotte was staring out the window. The light outside had turned dark but the moon was softly illuminating the car. He reached for her hand and Charlotte looked over to him with a melancholy smile.

His glance met hers and he ran his thumb over the top of her hand, "I love you."

Sighing, Charlotte nodded, "I love you too."

They rode hand in hand until they got home and Graham hurried to her side of the car to help her out. He wasn't sure how much physical pain she may have been in and he was going to help her every step of the way.

When they got inside Graham knew she probably wanted to go to bed so it didn't surprise him that Charlotte headed straight that way. She was wearing scrubs that Liza had given her and while they were comfortable, she wanted to get rid of anything that reminded her of what happened. Charlotte got something she could sleep in and went straight for the bathroom. She locked the door before Graham could do anything and he leaned against the door, "Are you hungry? I think we've got some soup."

"No." Charlotte shook her head and stood in front of the mirror. She slowly took off her clothes and when her eyes landed on her belly she started to feel her eyes water. They was supposed to be a baby in there. A little piece of him and a little piece of her. They were supposed to have a family but all of those hopes and dreams had been sucked out of her. Charlotte's cold fingers locked over her belly button and she shook her head. It wasn't supposed to happen like this.

Slipping her clothes on, Charlotte splashed some water on her face and walked back into the bedroom. Graham had gone somewhere and she slid into the cold sheets. She closed her eyes and was ready for this day to be over.

Graham walked into their bedroom with two glasses of ice water and put Charlotte's on her bedside table before he set his down. Sliding next to his wife, Graham kissed the back of her head and Charlotte turned around. He could see the tears that had started to fall again and he wiped them away with his thumb.

"I'm so sorry." She shook her head and closed her eyes as if Graham was ashamed of her for what had happened.

"Charlotte." Shaking his head, he put one of his hand on her back and kissed her forehead, "We'll try again. The doctor said we could try again."

"But..." Her voice hitched and she let her cry pass before finishing, "But we were ready _now_."

"We'll be ready next time." Pulling her closer, Graham rested his cheek on her head.

Listening to what he had to say made Charlotte's emotions run rampant. She started to cry and this was the big one. The cry that made her shake with anger and hurt, the one that drained all her tears, the one that wore her out.

Graham knew that there wasn't a whole lot he could do so held her tighter trying to help her get over it. When Charlotte's breathing started to come in steady, smooth waves he knew that she'd exhausted herself. Their bedroom was dark but he could still see the pain and sadness on her face. He watched her sleep for a while and when he was sure she was out, Graham quietly and gingerly got out of bed.

The hardwood was cool against his feet and he started to go upstairs. There were three bedrooms up there but he went in to the first one on the left. He didn't bother with the light but he walked into the nursery they'd started decorating and it broke his heart. The paint was still beige but they had splotches of boy and girl colors for when the time came to pick. There was a rocking chair that his dad had made them. It was sitting in the corner of the room and Graham pictured Charlotte holding a baby and rocking it to sleep. There was a changing table he was sure he would have had lots of diaper duty at, and there was a crib that was still in its box. He and Charlotte weren't sure if they'd settled on the color of the stain. Now all of the things in the room seemed unnecessary and mean. Charlotte had been right. They were ready for a baby now. They wanted to be parents now.

Looking around the nursery, Graham inhaled deeply and set his hands atop his head. It was too much. It was all too much and as his bottom lip started to tremble, Graham felt a tear fall down his cheek. He was starting to break down and it was warranted and needed. The baby they'd always hoped for was now just an idea. As he cried in the room that was to be their first born's, Graham let it all out. Charlotte was asleep downstairs and he stayed in the baby's room for another twenty minutes before he composed himself.

Walking down the steps, he saw their golden retriever walk out of the bedroom and Graham sat down on the bottom step. He patted the dog's head and used the back of his hand to wipe his face, "What are we gonna do, Mack? Huh? What are we gonna do?" Graham didn't know the answer and he knew their dog didn't either, but he rubbed Mack's ear and headed back to the bedroom. Charlotte was still asleep in the same position he'd left her and Graham crawled back into bed.

Tomorrow was going to be a new day. Charlotte and Graham were going to get through this. They were going to get through it together.

**OTHOTH**

The next morning Graham reached out for Charlotte but his hand slid across cold sheets. His eyes opened and he looked around their bedroom. Everything looked as though nothing traumatic had happened yesterday but Graham still had a lingering pain in his heart that told him it had. He got up and looked into bathroom to see if Charlotte was in there but she wasn't. He heard something outside of the bedroom and knew she was in the kitchen.

She'd just put two English muffins in the toaster and heard him come in. Charlotte tied the the twist tie and looked at her sleepy husband, "Hi."

He could see that she was already dressed and he walked toward her, "Hey."

Turning to the stove, Charlotte scrambled the eggs that were cooking, "I was gonna put some bacon on if..."

"Charlotte..." Graham looked at her and shook his head, "You don't have to do this."

She knew she didn't but Charlotte just wanted to put everything behind her.

"Talk to me."

"I don't want to talk about it." It came off a little cold and she hadn't meant for it to but there were emotions she was experiencing she didn't even know she had.

Graham knew that she was going through a lot so he took a deep breath. "Charlotte, I don't want you to jump into anything when you're not ready. Take a day off. It's Sunday. Why don't we get away?"

Charlotte didn't want to run away from everything. She looked at him and cut her eyes, "We lost a baby, Graham. A vacation doesn't exactly seem appropriate."

He could tell she was getting angry and it must have come with the grief. Sighing, Graham shook his head, "I didn't mean a vacation. I meant just...get away. You know when my team looses someone or I can't make a save that's what I do. I'll go out on the boat to clear my head."

"Well you do that." Charlotte turned away from him and stirred the eggs, "I'll be here."

Not knowing what to say, Graham watched her cook for a moment and then turned for the back door. He stepped outside and the cold morning air filled his lungs. This wasn't going to be easy on either of them.

When she'd heard the back door shut Charlotte could feel the tears welling in her eyes. She hadn't meant to be so short with him. The last thing she wanted to do was push him away. The toaster dinged when the muffins were done and Charlotte took a deep breath. Turning around, she walked outside. Graham was looking across the backyard and she slowly headed his way. When she was close enough she felt him wrap an arm around her and she felt a few more tears slide down her cheeks. "I'm sorry."

He stayed quiet but held her close.

"I didn't mean to get mad."

Graham turned to look at her directly and put both of his hands on her sides, "I want to help you but you have to let me."

Leaning into his chest, Charlotte nodded, "I know," She breathed deeply, "I know."

"And if you don't want to talk to me I think you should talk to someone. Your mom? Anyone."

"I will. I'm going to." She looked up to him and nodded. Her hands were around his torso and she looked deep into his green eyes, "I want you to be okay, too."

Hearing her concern for him made his eyes water and he pulled he close, "I'll be fine." As a rescue swimmer he'd had to deal with loss more than he cared to admit. He couldn't equate the loss of a stranger with the loss of their baby but Graham had the experience to help him find comfort in his pain. He'd rather sail with the winds and his boat and bury his sadness at sea. Graham's cheek dug into the side of Charlotte's head, "I was thinking of taking Banyan out. If you want to you can come with me."

Charlotte looked to him and shook her head. She loved that he was telling her she could but Charlotte knew that was his thing. As much as she loved that sailboat she knew it wasn't going to be as easy getting out on the ocean for her as it was him. "Thanks for offering but I know what I need to do." Talking it out with someone who'd dealt with the same misfortune was the kind of thing Charlotte needed. She needed to talk to someone who'd lived through it and come out stronger because of it.

The couple walked back inside their home and ate a small breakfast before heading out on their own.

Graham was about to leave and head for the marina but he was hesitating.

Charlotte saw it in his eyes and walked up to him, "I'll be okay." She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "You don't have to worry about me."

He was always going to worry about her no matter what. She was the love of his life and he wanted the world for her. "Are you sure?"

"I'm sure." She nodded and their eyes met in a mixture of green and brown. "I love you, Graham."

"I love you too, Charlotte."

Walking away from her was hard but it was what they needed. Graham needed to grieve in his own way and Charlotte needed to in hers. He drove toward the marina and Charlotte drove downtown. She passed Tric and the restaurant she and Graham had had their first date. She passed the Market Street docks and saw the corner store just ahead. She wasn't sure if Brooke was gonna be there but when she saw someone dressing mannequins in the front window, Charlotte knew it couldn't be anyone else.

When she crossed the street the closed sign was flipped but the door was unlocked. Charlotte walked into Clothes Over Bro's and Brooke thought it was one of her oldest employee's, "Millie, is that you? I don't know who thought it was good idea to put these outfits together but they _did not _look good. I had to fix them before people pass by and think we're selling frumpy grandma clothes."

"It's me Aunt Brooke."

When she heard Charlotte's voice, Brooke stepped away from the mannequins and took a deep breath. "Hi." She walked toward her niece and furrowed her brow, "Your mom called me last night." Brooke hugged Charlotte and led the younger woman to the couch. "How are you doing?"

Charlotte could feel her tears forming and she shrugged, "Not good."

"It's gonna get better."

Swallowing hard, Charlotte nodded, "That's why I wanted to come talk to you." She wiped away a tear and exhaled slow and smooth, "I know you and Julian had a really hard time having Davis so I thought you might have some advice or...anything."

"You know for me...it was more about the fact that we couldn't get pregnant. We tried everything we could. Saw all the specialists in the world and they all told us the same thing." Brooke took a deep breath and looked at the sad girl in front of her, "And it was rough. I blamed myself and knew I couldn't give Julian what he wanted. What I wanted." She shrugged and put her hand on Charlotte's, "And Julian was strong for me, for both of us really."

"Graham's doing the same thing and I love him for it but I don't know if he understands what I'm going through."

"Nobody really can." Brooke shook her head. "You just have to know that this is going to make you stronger."

"Ugh..but it sucks." Charlotte let out a small laugh and shook her head as she caught a few tears with the back of her hand.

"I know it does honey. Have you talked to your mom? She knows more about this than I do." Brooke had experienced fertility problems but she never had a miscarriage miraculously. The first and only time she got pregnant she carried the baby full term. She and Julian had faced serious struggles along the way but never lost a baby.

Charlotte sighed after wiping her cheeks and furrowed her brow, "What?"

The confusion on Charlotte's face let Brooke know that she'd just shared more information than the brown eyed girl knew. It was already out there and Brooke knew she couldn't backtrack now. Charlotte was going to figure it out anyway. "I guess she never told you?"

Still a little hazy on what her aunt was talking about Charlotte shook her head, "Told me what?"

"You're mom had a miscarriage between you and Jamie."

Letting the information sink in, Charlotte was putting the pieces together. That was why her mom had been so upset yesterday, hadn't it? The reason she kept having to leave the hospital room? It all made sense now. Haley had been as emotional as Charlotte and now the twenty five year old new why. "Mom lost a baby?"

Brooke knew that Haley should have been the one to tell her but it just kinda came out. "She'll be able to help you more than I can."

Thinking about her mom, Charlotte looked to her aunt and shook her head, "You did help. Thank you for telling me."

The raspy voiced brunette nodded and hugged Charlotte again. Brooke felt Charlotte's arms around her and laughed, "I just hope your mom doesn't get mad at me."

Pulling away, Charlotte shook her head, "She won't." The young woman got up from the couch and looked out the window. "I should probably go talk to her."

Brooke stood up and nodded, "Everything's gonna work out, Charlotte."

Smiling back to Brooke, Charlotte headed for the door but stopped before she opened it, "Thanks for talking with me."

"Thanks for stopping by." Brooke nodded back to the girl and watched as Charlotte left the shop. Brooke couldn't help but feel a piece of her heart breaking because Charlotte was too good of a girl for everything to have happened to.

Pulling away from the curb, Charlotte headed to her parents' house and knew that her mom would help her make sense of the situation. Brooke had been nice enough to talk to her about it but an even bigger help revealing that it was Haley who she needed to go see.

When Charlotte walked into her parents home she heard something coming from the kitchen. She walked towards the noise and saw her mom going through her kitchen drawers.

Haley heard the footsteps and knew they were too light to be Nathan's. She turned and saw her daughter standing in the doorway, "Hi."

"Hi." Charlotte walked further into the kitchen and saw the cloth napkins scattered on the counter and started folding them.

Watching her daughter do the same kind of thing that she did when she had something troubling her mind, Haley stepped next to Charlotte and they started folding the napkins together. There was a comfortable silence between the mother and daughter but after a while Haley spoke up. "You wanna talk about it?"

Turning to her mom, Charlotte nodded, "Yeah."

Haley gathered up the folded napkins and placed them in the drawer and then headed upstairs. Her bedroom was the most comfortable place in the house and she and Charlotte could lie on the bed and talk about whatever it was that would help. Her daughter was following her and they both got on the king size bed. Haley was on her side of the bed and Charlotte took Nathan's.

"I just...I don't understand."

"I know you don't." Haley shook her head and sighed, "It's not something that's textbook. And you're too much like me to let that slide. You want answers that nobody has."

Charlotte nodded and felt a tear glide down her cheek, "Why me?"

Haley shrugged and felt herself start to tear up, "It just happens, honey."

Nodding, Charlotte wiped her cheek, "I went and saw Brooke earlier. I knew she would be able to understand." The brown eyed girl looked into the eyes that matched her own and they saddened, "And she told me about the baby you lost between me and Jamie." Charlotte watched her mom's eyes tear, "Why didn't you tell me?"

Haley sighed and shook her head, "I never thought I'd need to." It wasn't something Haley was going to bring up at the dinner table and until yesterday when she saw her daughter experience what she'd gone through twenty seven years ago, Haley didn't want to. It didn't matter how much time had passed it was still emotionally jarring. "But I should have." Haley looked at her daughter as she wiped her own tears away, "I wanted to tell you yesterday at the hospital but every time I thought I could I'd get upset and have to leave your room for a minute. I... felt too guilty. Like I'd somehow given it to you." Haley shook her head and shrugged. She knew it just happened but a part of the her couldn't help but feel as if she were to blame.

"Mom..." Charlotte furrowed her brow and shook her head, "You didn't _give_ this to me."

"I never wanted it to happen to you. For you to experience it."

"What happened to you? How did you get over it?"

Haley took a deep breath and thought about the doctor's appointment she'd tried to forget. "I went in for my three month check up and Dr. Walker couldn't find a heartbeat. Your dad was on his way home from Charleston. He was playing for the Chiefs then. I was alone when I found out and it was awful. I got Lucas and Peyton to keep Jamie and when your dad got home I had to tell him the hardest thing I've ever had to tell him."

Charlotte was crying just listening to her mom go on.

"He was so great about it, though. He stayed with me until I feel asleep and then he left."

"He left?" Charlotte didn't think that sounded so great.

"He went to go get your brother. He brought him back and put him on the bed between us. Your dad knew that having him near me was what I needed."

"Jamie?"

Haley nodded, "And I can't imagine how it feels with it being your first pregnancy, but..." she scooted closer to her daughter and sighed, "You have to take it day by day. It's not going to be easy and some days are worse than others, but know that nothing was your fault. You couldn't have done anything to prevent it. You've got Graham, and me, and your dad, and the rest of Tree Hill on your side. We're here for you, whatever you need. And you'll get pregnant again." Seeing Charlotte nod, Haley smiled, "I had you."

Charlotte took a deep breath, "But weren't you scared?"

"A little bit. It was always in the back of my mind but..." Haley shook her head, "I tried not to think about it."

"I want a family so bad." Charlotte closed her eyes so she could keep her tears at bay, "Graham does too."

"You're gonna have babies, Charlotte. You and Graham will probably have a houseful." This was a setback that only delayed the inevitable. "You're going to be an incredible mom one day. Maybe it won't be as soon as you hoped but you'll get there."

"I needed to hear that." Charlotte felt her lip quiver and she nodded, "Thanks."

Rubbing her hand soothingly along her daughter's back, Haley nodded, "Everything's gonna be okay."

And it would be. Haley was right. Things were going to get better and everything was going to be okay. Charlotte and Graham would get there in time.

**OTHOTH**

It was mid August and Charlotte was on her way home from a doctors appointment. Just a routine check-up to see how things were going. It had been about four months since the miscarriage and Charlotte had gone to see her doctor for precautionary measures. When she'd had her first appointment a few days after the incident she'd been told that she may feel a little bit different for a while and that it was up to them when they started trying again. Physically there was nothing stopping them but there was an emotional barrier they had to get over first. For some it took a week, others it took a year or more. But between the four months that had passed and her latest check-up, Charlotte had a pretty good idea about where they were headed when it came to trying for their next baby.

She pulled her car into the driveway and saw Graham putting their bags in his Tahoe. They were headed to the Outer Banks for a week before she had to head to work. Graham had gotten them a little house on Cape Hatteras and it was going to be nice to get away for a little while, just the two of them. They were gonna stop and see his family but the majority of the trip was going to be Charlotte and Graham, the sea and the sand.

"Hey." Graham walked out of the house with another bag and smiled, "How'd the appointment go?"

"Really good." Charlotte nodded and walked toward his car, "You need help getting the rest of it?"

He shook his head, "No. I've got it. Just gotta load up Mack and I think we'll be ready to go."

Walking into the house, Charlotte made sure everything was off that didn't need to be on. She checked the locks and was looking through to fridge to make sure nothing was going to spoil while they'd be gone. There was a jar of jalapenos and the cheese spread they put on Wheat Thins that caught her eye but she didn't want to bother with it.

"I thought we could stop for lunch on the way."

Charlotte heard his voice come in the kitchen and she grabbed two water bottles. "That sounds fine. I'm starving." Her appointment had been at 10:30am, she'd had a tiny little breakfast, and lunch on the road sounded fine with her.

The duo got on the road and the four hour and forty five minute trip didn't seem as long as it sounded. They'd been up to the Outer Banks numerous occasions, and the drive up there and even that funky chicken smell seemed like old habits.

It was just before 5:00pm when they pulled up to his parents house and he looked at her with a smile. "Should we steal Crawford's motorcycle this time?"

Charlotte laughed and shook her head as she opened the door. "He still holds it against us. I think we'll be just fine in your car."

Graham knew that she had a point and went to the back let Mack run around. Charlotte walked toward the house and opened up the front door and said hello. Harrison was the first to see Charlotte and the five year old smiled up to his aunt. "Did you bring Mack?"

Smiling at the little boy, Charlotte nodded, "He's outside with Graham." She watched as Harrison hurried out the front door and she saw Lane walking towards her. "Hey, Lane."

"He's been excited about seeing that dog for the last week." Lane rolled her eyes with a laugh and hugged her sister in law. "How are you doing?"

"Pretty good." Charlotte smiled and the two women walked toward the kitchen.

Caroline was standing on a few encyclopedia's stacked on top of each other mashing something in a bowl. "Hi, Charlotte". She turned around and smiled at her aunt as she pushed her glasses back up her nose.

"Oh...Caroline." Lane laughed and started to walk towards her seven year old daughter. "Silly goose. You got potato salad on your glasses now."

"Oh, whoops." The little girl had forgotten that she was using her hands to mix everything up.

Charlotte got a paper towel and wiped off Caroline's glasses and her hands. "That should be better."

Mrs. McFarland came into the kitchen."I thought I heard a familiar voice." Anne hugged her daughter in law and then looked over to her granddaughter, "I guess you can see that Caroline is making the potato salad for tonight."

"Yeah, if the rest doesn't end up on her face." Lane gave her oldest a goofy smile and shook her head. She used her pointed finger to circle her eyes, "I think she was confusing it with one of those facial masks."

"Was not." Caroline looked at her mom with a shake of her head. "I forgot it was on my hands."

Graham walked into kitchen and scooped up the little girl and started to tickle her.

"Graham watch out..." Lane winced because she saw Caroline swat at her uncle with potato salad covered hands.

When Graham put her down Caroline's eyes got wide and she laughed when he put his hands on the back of his head.

"What in the world?"

Holding out her hands, Caroline smiled, "I told you not to tickle me."

Charlotte started laughing and pulled him towards the hall bathroom. "You've got it all over your head."

Graham watched her get the hand towel wet and he laughed, "Well how was I supposed to know she was armed and dangerous."

As she cleaned a spot just above his ear, Charlotte dropped her hand and stepped closer to him. "I'm glad we're here."

He furrowed his brow, a little confused by her actions and nodded, "Me too."

Raising up on her tiptoes, Charlotte kissed him and looked into his green eyes as she bit her lip.

"What is it?"

She kept his eyes on his for a while but shrugged as she shook her head, "You've got a little..." Charlotte wiped the potato salad that was under his side burn.

"Aunt Charlotte? Grandma needs you in the kitchen."

Looking down at the little girl, Charlotte nodded and headed that way while Graham looked down at his niece. "All clean?"

Holding out her hands she nodded, "All clean."

This time Graham scooped Caroline up and arched his brow, "So tell me, kiddo. What's been going on up here? Learning anything fun in school this year? Are you excited for this school year? It starts soon." While Caroline rattled off the things she'd been doing Graham looked over to the kitchen at Charlotte with a curious smile. Something was off and he couldn't pin point it. He heard his niece talk about spelling words, "Can you spell..." Graham heard Crawford coming down the road and looked at Caroline with a smile, "Motorcycle?"

"Mmm? I don't know."

Laughing, Graham put Caroline down and shook his head, "That's okay. I don't think Crawford can either."

When all of Graham's family got there they entertained themselves with the kids while Mitch and the guys grilled burgers. They all ate outside in the warm summer evening and by the time it was seven thirty Mr. McFarland looked to his oldest son.

"Sun's gonna go down in about an hour. Probably wanna get to Hatteras before then. Check out the house before it's dark."

Graham got up and nodded, "Yeah. We should get going." He looked at Charlotte and reached for her plate to take it to the kitchen. While she said goodbye to his family outside, Graham went inside and his mom followed.

"Thanks for having us, Mom."

Anne smiled at her son and nodded, "You know you and Charlotte can come whenever you'd like." Looking toward the back deck, Graham's mom watched the people outside say goodbye to Charlotte. "You two are gonna be just fine."

Graham turned to his mom and nodded. He hadn't thought otherwise and certainly hoped nobody else did. "Yeah...we're gonna be fine. Everything's been going well." Mrs. McFarland nodded with a smile as she walked back to the porch. Graham had another awkward feeling. Now his mom was acting weird too. Was there something he needed to be worried about? Was there something he was missing that was cause for concern? He didn't know and instead of trying to figure it out he walked back outside to say goodbye to his family before he and Charlotte headed to Cape Hatteras.

The drive south was just over an hour and when they pulled into the driveway of their rental, the sun was in the beginning stages of his slow decent. The sherbet colored sky looked like it was on fire. When the couple and Mack got inside, they casually unpacked and it was dark by the time they were all settled in. They'd run by the store on the main island before driving down to Hatteras and Graham walked to the porch over looking the ocean with two ice cream sandwiches.

Charlotte smiled up at him and looked at the ice cream, "I used to think these were called Napoleon for the longest time. Not Neapolitan."

Graham laughed out loud and shook his head, "Before, during, or after your time at Brown?"

She rolled her eyes, "Before. My Dad thought the same thing."

Still laughing, Graham ate his dessert as the summer breeze blew across the ocean and he saw Charlotte hold the rest of hers out. He looked at her funny and shook his head, "You don't want all of it?"

"Not really." Charlotte handed him the rest of her ice cream sandwich and leaned against the back of her chair. "The weather is supposed to be nice tomorrow isn't it?"

"Yeah. Clouds in the morning but they'll dissipate before ten."

Charlotte let out a long yawn and laughed, "Ugh, sorry."

Graham yawned after Charlotte did and he laughed, "You're making me yawn."

"Sorry." He shook his head and got up from his chair. Graham held out his hand so they could walk back inside and they were gonna call it a night. After the long drive and dinner with his family they were both exhausted.

When the morning sun came through the window Graham leaned towards the side Charlotte had been on but only felt emptiness. She must have gotten up because she could smell the coffee already brewing. Graham rolled out of bed and walked to the kitchen and saw that there was one mug sitting by the pot. She must have forgotten to get another one out because he knew she hadn't poured herself a cup because the fill line wasn't down a single drop. Noticing that the sliding back door was opened he figured she'd gone down to the beach and he poured two cups of coffee and headed that way.

His bare feet loved the feel of the boardwalk and the sand that littered the splintered wood. Graham saw Charlotte sitting by the water's edge with her knees pulled close to her chest.

It didn't take him long to walk by her side and he sat down next to her and held out her cup of coffee. "Morning."

Charlotte didn't want or need the coffee but she appreciated the gesture. "Morning." She placed her coffee on the ground next to her and leaned into his side. They sat together watching the waves crash against the shore and Charlotte looked to her husband, "Graham?"

"Huh?" He glanced down to her with a raised brow as he took a sip of his drink.

"Tell me a story."

"A story? Uh, alright." He put his drink down and Graham looked across the ocean and then back to Charlotte, "Which one? How about the winds. You haven't heard that one in a while."

Charlotte nodded and listened to him as he began to tell the story.

"Anytime time a sailor set out for the sea he'd look to the stars and ask for calm seas..."

She'd had her fingertips aimlessly running through the sand and she looked up to him with a sweet smile that caused him to stop talking. Charlotte took a deep breath and let her excitement color her cheeks, "I'm pregnant." He turned to her with a happy grin and Charlotte nodded, "I found out at my appointment yesterday."

"You did?"

"Mmm-huh." Charlotte laughed and nodded as she felt a tear slide down her cheek. "They said I'm about four weeks."

"You are?" Graham was starting to feel everything set in.

"It's still _really_ early but..."

Graham shook his head and pulled her on his lap, "You're pregnant?"

Resting her forehead on his she nodded, "We're pregnant."

He kissed her and started to laugh, "I knew something was up yesterday."

Charlotte wiped her cheeks and laughed with him, "I know and I almost told you a few times."

"You're _really_ pregnant?" He was still in shock and had to ask again.

Wrapping her arms around his neck she and kissed him. Her cheek was against his and she whispered, "I'm _really_ pregnant."

"I love you." He looked at her and knew that this time around thing were going to be okay. They'd made it through the worst of it and if what they had to endure four months ago got them this baby, then it was all going to be worth it.

"I love you too." Charlotte's brown eyes locked with his green ones and she smiled. As they listened to the tide roar while it crashed ashore Charlotte felt the butterflies start to go crazy in her belly. And silently Charlotte was hoping those butterflies were careful in there, she was carrying precious cargo. Those butterflies were gonna have to make room. "How about that story? The one about the sea turtles?" The story was a good one for the occasion.

Graham cleared his throat and nodded "You know why sea turtles like these beaches..."

Charlotte had heard the story and knew how it went. She could listen to Graham go on for days. She could listen to him go on for years, and Charlotte had a feeling she'd get that opportunity, but it wouldn't just be her ears. There would be a little pair coming into the picture who'd probably love to listen to him just as much as Charlotte. Eight more months and he'd be telling their baby her first story.

**OTHOTH**

**Alright guys, how was that? Did the happy ending make up for the sad beginning? Any of y'all want to guess the baby's name? Those of you who do know...don't guess, ha. As mentioned in multiple and previous author's notes, all of Charlotte and Graham's kids' names have been mentioned in this story somewhere. Put your thinking caps on; ready, set, go!**

**My reviewers are always the source of excellent inspiration. Thank you for all the support!**

**2old4oth: I appreciate your attempt at asking nicely for last chapter's events to only be a scare but sadly...they weren't. But it happy at the end, so that's good, right? No problem for getting the chapters out so quickly (two weeks ago that is) it's not hard to procrastinate studying when you enjoy writing so much, ha.**

**Tp404: I'm so glad you enjoyed the last chapter. As you noted, Haley was definitely going through a lot considering she'd been through a miscarriage herself. I hope Graham's reaction was along the lines of what you were expecting.**

**Joan: Liza was a nice asset to have last chapter. I'm glad you liked her interact and her going into nurse mode. Hopefully I nailed Graham's reaction as you thought I might. Hopefully you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last!**

**_Please Review!_**


	19. Welcome to the World

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 19: Welcome to the World**

**Disclaimer: I have no affiliation with OTH. None of the characters from the show are mine. **

**A/N: First off, what the heck, FanFiction! Why were you down last night when my Internet was back and working and my chapter was ready? Huh? I mean really! And why were you still down this morning when I got up early to try and post/log in again? UGH! I think we can all share my frustrations, right? So anyways...y'all ready to see Charlotte and Graham with baby number one? After all the miscarriage drama, I'm sure you do. This chapter will be much like the other pregnancy chapters I've done in LM and will span the entire pregnancy. Keep an eye out for time stamps to let you know how far along Charlotte is. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

**-3 months along**

Charlotte was standing in the bathroom staring into the mirror. She was in the middle of changing clothes to go to her parents' house but her growing bump had her mesmerized. She was wearing dark skinny jeans and just her bra. Charlotte hadn't slipped her loose blouse on yet. Turned sideways,she studied her three month belly and started to smile. There was a feeling in her heart she couldn't explain. This was it. This baby was here to stay and they were going to have a family. Everything was going to be okay.

Everything was going to be more than okay. Graham walked in the bathroom and Charlotte saw him in the mirror. He walked close so his chest was against her back and he put his hands on the belly she couldn't keep her eyes off of. He leaned in to her with a cute grin, "You know, we could paint your belly orange and tell everyone about the pregnancy that way. Baby's first Halloween as a pumpkin?"

Charlotte smiled thinking of his idea and turned around to face him. "I was a pumpkin for my first Halloween."

"You were?"

Nodding, Charlotte wrapped her hands around around his neck, "I don't remember it, but there are pictures."

Graham tired to imagine what Charlotte looked like as a tiny little pumpkin and he knew she had probably been the cutest one around. He leaned down to kiss her quick and looked into her deep brown eyes. Charlotte wasn't _probably_ the cutest pumpkin around, she _had_ to have been. "I'm ready when you are."

Charlotte laughed and looked down her her bare stomach, "I probably should put on my shirt, huh?"

Rubbing his hands along her arm Graham nodded, "And a sweater. It might get cool tonight."

She loved that he was protective over her, over both of them. Charlotte and baby both. "I was gonna grab one."

Reaching for her blouse, Charlotte pulled over the top that hid her stomach and knew that her husband was right about a sweater. It was two days until Halloween and the hallowed breath of fall was sure to get cool when the sun went down.

They were going over to her parents house for an early dinner. Friday nights at Nathan and Haley's were somewhat of a casual tradition. They'd probably take advantage of the pool deck and eat their food outside admiring the colorful sunset of burnt oranges and reds.

The young couple was ready quickly, and Charlotte and Graham headed to her parents house in normal fashion. But as they drove toward her childhood home, Charlotte was trying to think of the ways they were going to tell her family they were pregnant. Considering what they'd been through before, Charlotte didn't want to talk about it too soon but she'd done a good job holding the news so far. The only person that had actually heard the news was Graham's mom. Lane technically knew because she'd gotten the info out of her mother, but only one person had heard it from Charlotte's mouth and that was Anne.

_Charlotte and Graham had spent a whole week smothered in the late summer sun and the vacation was exactly what they'd needed. After having a rough couple months after the miscarriage, getting away seemed to help both husband and wife. And better than the sand between their toes or calm sound of waves crashing against the weathered shore was the news that they were pregnant again. It was something Charlotte and Graham had wanted so much, and it was a moment neither would ever forget. When she'd told him the morning of their first day it had made the whole trip worthwhile._

"_Come on, Mack." Graham tapped the carpet that covered the back of his car and looked toward their dog. "We're going home, boy." Mack hung his head and looked away from Graham._

"_I think he wants to stay." Charlotte walked over to Graham and looked at their sad looking golden retriever._

"_We'll come back, but come on..." Graham tapped harder on the carpet, "Load up."_

_Charlotte found Mack's unresponsiveness pretty cute. He really was Graham's dog. Mack loved the beach and could spend his entire day chasing the birds that flew close to the shore._

_Graham didn't have any treats to lure the dog into the car but he knew he might able to say something that would do the trick.. "Wanna go on the boat?" Graham nodded with a smile, "Boat?"_

_Mack's tail started to wag and he knew what his owner was talking about. He jumped up in the back and Graham patted his head before he closed the hatch. The twenty nine year old walked over to his door, and the couple and their dog drove away from the rental. Hatteras was fading in the rear-view mirror but Charlotte watched the dunes grow smaller with a smile in her heart. They were leaving one place ready to start anew in Tree Hill. _

"_I guess I shouldn't really use bribery when parenting, huh?"_

_Charlotte's thoughts about the island they were leaving were interrupted when she heard Graham. She turned to him with a smirk, "Probably not." Laughing, Charlotte shook her head, "Mack may have been an exception."_

_Graham took a quick glance towards her stomach and then looked to Charlotte more directly, "I'll probably spoil them though."_

"_Me too." She knew she'd be just as guilty in that department, especially considering the circumstances. This baby was going to get the world. All of their kids would._

_Before Charlotte and Graham headed back to Tree Hill, they were going to stop by his parents' place on the way out. The next time they'd probably make the trip back up would likely be Christmas and that was four months away._

_Anne was standing next to the mailbox pulling out the mail when she saw her son's white Tahoe pull into the driveway. She waved with the hand that was full of envelopes and followed the car as she walked up the driveway. "You two heading back already?" Mrs. McFarland smiled at her son when he got out of the car._

"_I've gotta get to work tomorrow."_

_Knowing that her son was one of the best, if not THE best rescue swimmer for the United States Coast Guard Anne understood that the young couple needed to get back home._

"_Is Dad home? He said he had two oars for us?" Mitchell had found two old oars drifting along the sound one day and thought they would make for neat decorative pieces in Charlotte and Graham's house._

"_He's on his way to New Bern," Mrs. McFarland shook her head, "Some bed and breakfast bought six of his rocking chairs and he's delivering them."_

_Charlotte smiled at her mother in law, "That's great."_

_Anne nodded, "I know he's sorry he missed you. He did tell me that he left the whatever it was inside the shed."_

_Graham laughed at his mother's vocabulary and nodded, "I'm gonna go get 'em."_

"_Charlotte, I've got a little something for you and Graham, too." Mrs. McFarland tilted her head and started to walk into the house._

_The twenty six year old followed Mrs. McFarland into the kitchen and knew that whatever it was she and Graham were getting must have been food related. Charlotte couldn't complain. Graham's mom was just about as good of a cook as her mom._

"_I know you've got a few hours drive a head of you and I thought you could snack on something. Those fast food restaurants have absolutely no nutritional value." Last week when Charlotte and Graham had stopped by before they went down to Hatteras Mrs. McFarland had a pretty good intuition about her daughter in law, and as Charlotte eyed the bag of homemade granola she had a pretty good feeling that Graham's mom knew a little more than she led on._

"_Thank you, Anne." Charlotte smiled and then took a deep breath. "I have a feeling I'll be munching on this more than he will...I'm craving all sorts of things." Emphasizing craving when she spoke, Charlotte looked to Graham's mom with a smile._

_Mrs. McFarland's brows both rose, "Oh, Charlotte..." Graham's mom walked over to the expectant mother and hugged her. "I thought you might be pregnant."_

_Charlotte smiled as she hugged her mother in law and nodded, "It's still really early. Too early to tell anyone but I knew you knew."_

"_I know how much you wanted this. How much both of you want this."_

_It was inevitable that Charlotte start to cry and the wetness on her cheek was no surprise. "I'm scared."_

_Anne understood why and hugged Charlotte tighter, "You have more grace, more poise, more selflessness I've ever seen in a person, Charlotte. You're going to be a wonderful, wonderful mother. Everything is going to turn out just fine."_

_The young woman couldn't be sure if the older was right but she wanted to believe it. Charlotte opened her mouth to say something in return but Anne beat her to it._

_Mrs. McFarland pulled away from Charlotte and nodded,"Mitch told me one time that second chances don't come around without reason, that people who get them, are the ones who are ready for it. And I know that you and Graham are ready for a baby. You two are going to have a beautiful family."_

"_I hope so." Charlotte brushed a soft tear away from her cheek, "I really hope so."_

That family Charlotte has so hoped for just under two months ago was no longer a pipe dream. Her swollen belly and the doctor's all clear was turning her hopes into a reality. So much so that it was time to tell the rest of her family.

Graham pulled up into Nathan and Haley's driveway and turned off the car after he parked. He looked over to his wife and took a deep breath. "How do you want to tell them?"

Charlotte had thought about the endless possibilities but she hadn't decided on one particular way. "I..I don't know."

"I'm ready when you're ready."

"Kay." Charlotte nodded and looked through the windshield at her parents house.

The two made their way inside, and since Jamie's family wasn't there yet it was just her parents. Charlotte ran her hand over her stomach in hopes of trying to stifle any evidence but it really didn't matter. Her parents were going to find out soon enough.

Charlotte could hear her mom cutting something up and she and Graham walked to the kitchen. "Hey, Mom."

Haley sliced through an onion and looked up. "Hi, honey. Hi, Graham."

"Can I help you do anything?" Charlotte walked close to her mom and wondered if she needed help making the salad.

Nathan came in from the back and smiled at Graham. The two men shook hands and Nathan offered his son in law a drink, "You want a beer, Graham?" Nathan turned to his daughter and looked at her, "Can I get you anything, Charlotte."

Feeling a her cheeks start to flood with color, Charlotte shook her head quickly before ducking behind the cover of the refrigerator door. Denying an alcoholic beverage was one thing but her face was a dead give away. "No, I'm fine."

Graham knew that she was a little flustered and didn't want to immediately blow her cover so he walked to the fridge and stood next to her. The door was shielding them from her parents and he kissed the side of her head, "Nice save," then reached for two beers.

The front door opened and before any of the adults knew what was happening, Bennet was running through the kitchen with his arms out and his cape behind his back. Darth Vader couldn't fly, but the seven year old sure was making it seem that way. He whipped out a fake light saber and held it out to Graham. Bennet pressed a button on his helmet so his voice would sound more like the character's, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Graham laughed and held his hands up.

"Bennet, I told you to be careful with that. Don't hurt anybody." Liza walked into the kitchen and couldn't help but roll her eyes at her son.

It was dress up day at school since Halloween fell on a Sunday and Bennet hadn't taken the thing off since 7:30 that morning. Even three year old Claire was in on the dress up fun. Since her big brother got to wear her costume the little girl pranced into the kitchen with her purple butterfly outfit, antennas and all.

"Claire, you look so cute!" Charlotte spotted her niece and smiled at the little girl.

"Thank you." The blonde haired cutie-pie bowed and her antenna headband fell off.

Jamie had walked in behind his daughter and leaned down to pick up her antennas, "You dropped these, bug."

"Daddy, I'm not a bug. I'm a girl."

Charlotte could feel her heart swell because she could see Graham in Jamie's shoes.

"I know you're not a real bug. I was just saying it 'cause your costume." The father of two slid Claire's headband back onto her head.

Liza laughed and used to finger to get her daughter to walk over to her. Kneeling down, Liza smiled, "This is why Daddy doesn't dress you in the morning." The former soccer star turned Claire's headband the appropriate way so it wasn't backwards.

Nathan laughed and looked to his son. "And _you_ gave me lip about the same thing."

Jamie knew that he had no defense again his father's statement so he shrugged, "Like father, like son, I guess."

Haley laughed because that statement was incredibly true.

"Can we pway outside?" Claire was buzzing to go hit up the swing set in her grandparents yard.

"I call slide first!" Bennet ran for the outside door and his little sister followed hot on his trail.

"Me!"

"Oh, boy." Liza knew this slide war that was about to ensue might end up with one or more of her kids in tears. A nearly eight year old and a three year old were not going to shy away from conflict.

"Charlotte will you finish up the salad so I can grab my camera. I want to get a shot of Bennet and Claire in their costumes."

Looking at her mom, Charlotte nodded and watched as Jamie and Liza headed outside while her mom went upstairs.

Graham handed Nathan his beer he'd gotten and Mr. Scott thanked him. "I was gonna grab the meat. Do you think it's about time to put it on?"

Nodding, Graham agreed, "You want me to get it for you?"

Nathan shook his head, "I can get it. You might want to check on the grill, though. The fire could have died down." Graham was more than happy to do so and left Charlotte and Nathan in the kitchen. The fifty one year old put down his drink so he could get what he needed out of the fridge. Nathan unwrapped the marinated meat and after he threw away the Saran wrap he couldn't help but watch Charlotte chop up the carrots. "I remember when you were this tall helping out your mom in the kitchen." Nathan held out his hand at the approximate height he'd imagined Charlotte and nodded, "I'd come home after being away and there you two would be. A step stool for you, and an apron for your mom."

"I did help a lot, didn't I?"

Nathan nodded with a laugh, "I remember when you were about Claire's age and you sneezed right into a pot of rice."

"Ew..." Charlotte scrunched her nose and shook her head, "Gross, sorry."

Nathan laughed and shrugged his shoulders, "The things you eat for your kids."

Knowing that her dad had probably eaten contaminated rice for the sake of her three year old cooking pride, Charlotte smiled and continued to cut the rest of the carrots. Her motions slowed when she turned to watch her father and she took a deep breath, "Dad?"

"Huh?"

The nervousness Charlotte was worried about wasn't showing any signs of appearing and instead she was excited. She couldn't help but bite her lip and that was more to hold her tongue than anything. Charlotte didn't want to blurt it out.

Nathan's eyes were on Charlotte's and he looked at her concerned, "What is it?"

She took one more breathe followed with a cute smile, "I'm pregnant."

Hearing the news was unexpected but this surprise was one of the good kinds. One of the best kinds. "You are?" Nathan leaned down and hugged his youngest.

Charlotte nodded and her chin rested on her father's shoulder, "Mom doesn't know yet."

"You told me first?" Nathan felt a swell in his heart run as deep as her brown eyes.

Charlotte could feel her cheeks roast a happy red and nodded, "Graham's mom found out on her own and Graham knows but that's it."

Nathan's eyes immediately flew to his daughter's stomach and this time when he knew what to look for he thought he could see a small little bump. "How...how far along?"

"Over three months."

"And the doctor..."

Charlotte nodded, "Said everything is going great. Me _and_ the baby."

Still a little bewildered, Nathan found himself smirking and shook his head, "Wow, Charlotte."

"Found the camera!" Haley was laughing at herself when she made it to the bottom of the stairs and she hardly noticed her daughter or husband's demeanor.

Laughing when her mom walked outside, Charlotte looked at her dad but before she said something he hugged her again. It was all Nathan could think to do.

Breathing deeply, Charlotte felt more confident that this pregnancy was going to go smoothly with her father's tall frame holding hers. "Thanks, Dad."

They stood there for a moment or two and then Nathan knew he needed to get outside. That meat wasn't going to sprout legs and walk outside to the grill by itself. He pulled away from Charlotte to go get the food and before he walked outside he looked at his daughter and nodded, "I'm happy for you, Char."

Charlotte took another five minutes to herself and then she joined the rest of her family outside. She immediately walked to Graham and slipped her hand in his. He looked down at her curious because he knew that meant something. Charlotte nodded as she leaned closer to him, "I told my dad."

"But what about you, Charlotte?" Liza looked to her sister in law with a raised brow.

"Wha..what were we talking about?"

Haley looked at her youngest, "The better grocery store." The new one close to Mayfaire or that small local shop.

"Well for the fruits and vegetables I like going to the local one. The place by Mayfaire has good prices for most other things though."

Graham nodded, "I think so too. I think I read in the paper that the local farmers who sell to Hemmings get a larger cut of the profit."

"They do." Jamie nodded, "A co-worker of mine wrote that article."

Bennet had slid down the slide more times than he could count and he was running towards the adults to ask a question he never received an answer to. He drew his light saber out as he walked past the pool and he pressed the button on the side of his helmet. Bennet extended his light saber into Graham's stomach, "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Graham laughed and tried his hardest to do his best Darth Vader voice, "I am your father."

The boy understood the joke but he was Darth Vader, not Graham. Bennet lifted up his mask and furrowed his brow, "Don't you have anything better than that?"

Glancing at Charlotte, Graham did have a little something better to say. "Charlotte's pregnant."

The faces on Jamie, Liza and Haley were priceless, and even Bennet had a cute little smile.

"Will you name the baby Darth?"

Graham laughed and looked to Charlotte, "We might have to put that on our _maybe_ list." Not wanting to scwander Bennet's hopes, Graham gave Bennet a maybe.

The adults laughed but also tried to fully understand the news they'd just been told. For everything Charlotte and Graham had gone through they were getting another shot. It was great news for the entire Scott family and between Liza, Haley, and Charlotte there wasn't a dry eye in the house, or deck rather. It was something that was going to affect each and every person there, and in six short months Nathan and Haley's grandchildren would grow from two to three.

**OTHOTH**

-5 months along

Charlotte was making steady progress through her pregnancy. Just last week they'd found out they were having a girl and with that news it meant they had a definite color scheme. Instead of boy blues and greens, they'd stayed with softer pastels. Charlotte was like her mother and wasn't particularly fond of pink so the majority of the baby's things were yellow and lavender. A few splashes of pink littered the nursery but it wasn't a primary color.

"I think we did a pretty good job for not being professionals." Ben walked through the baby's room and admired the painting he and Graham had done. He'd come to town for a few days during the Christmas holiday before leaving for Memphis. Ben was still stationed in Texas but he'd try and get to North Carolina when he could.

"Thanks for doing this." Charlotte got up out of the rocking chair she'd been sitting in and looked around the room.

Ben shook his head with a sweet grin, "Just a little early Christmas present for the baby."

Charlotte smiled and walked closer to her husband's best friend, "I know she's gonna like it." They both looked around and then the twenty six year old turned to Ben. "Can I get you to stay an extra few days? My parent's party is coming up. I'm sure everyone would love to see you."

Shaking his head, Ben smiled, "You know I'd love to hang around for your mom's food but my dad's waiting on me." That was true but Ben wasn't sure if he was ready to get himself so involved again. It had happened once and things hadn't ended well.

Charlotte knew that Ben had a real family to get back to, but it didn't mean she couldn't ask.

"Hey, man, we gotta get going." Graham walked into the doorway and checked his watch. He knew that with shoppers and the gloomy weather, traffic was going to be a pain. Graham didn't want Ben to miss his flight.

The light haired Coastie took a deep breath and raised his eye brows, "Merry Christmas, Charlotte."

Charlotte nearly teared up when she had to say goodbye to Ben but her hormones were all over the place. "Merry Christmas, Ben. Have a safe flight." Charlotte hugged the guy and nodded, "I hope you can come back soon."

"I will. Late April, right?" Ben looked do Charlotte's stomach. "I'll be here." Biologically he wasn't the baby's uncle but he might as well be. Ben wasn't going to miss seeing Charlotte and Graham's little girl when she was born. They were practically family.

"Yeah." Charlotte hadn't meant to get teary but she quickly blinked away her tears, "Late April."

Graham could see that Charlotte's emotions were getting the best of her. "Come on, Ben. If we stay much longer she might cry her way into making you stay."

"Hey...!" Charlotte furrowed her brow, "I can't help it."

Ben laughed and started to walk towards his friend, "I'm gonna go put my stuff in the car."

Graham nodded and watched Ben walk away and then looked at Charlotte and her growing belly. "How are you doing?"

That simply question seemed to flip a switch for the major water works because she started to cry.

"Charlotte..." Graham furrowed his brow and wrapped his arms around her. "What's wrong now?"

Laughing, Charlotte pulled away, "Nothing. I just...I love this room, and what you two did. I'm gonna miss Ben and... I don't know. I'm just a wreck."

Graham shook his head and kissed her forehead while simultaneous resting his hand on her side of her stomach, "You're not a wreck, you're pregnant."

Charlotte nodded and looked up to kiss him softly, "I know."

"I gotta go but I'll see you in a little while." Graham started to walk out of the nursery and heard Charlotte speak up.

"I was thinking of running downtown soon. I might still be gone when you get back."

Graham nodded and Charlotte watched him walk away. She looked around the nursery that was coming together nicely. Charlotte hit the lights as she went downstairs and grabbed her keys and purse to head downtown.

The late December air was cloudy and cold but Charlotte's car's heat was working overtime. It was a new car, an Audi wagon, and when Charlotte got to Tric she saw four familiar cars in the parking lot. She knew that this downtown visit was going to end up being a family get together. But it wasn't. Charlotte walked into Red Bedroom Records and didn't hear her Aunt Brooke's raspy voice or see Peyton who looked like an aged version of Sawyer, and her mom wasn't sitting by the piano either. Sawyer on the other hand was there.

Head phones buzzing, Sawyer was writing things down and looked up to Charlotte with wide eyes. "Shit!" Sawyer leaned back in her chair and shook her head, "I didn't hear you come in."

"Sorry." Charlotte laughed and looked around the empty office, "Where is everyone?" She knew it was a Saturday but all of the older womens' cars were in the parking lot.

"_They_...went out to shop and have lunch." Sawyer shook her head, "_I_ didn't get an invite."

Charlotte laughed but knew that her best friend would rather work than shop. The only things she liked shopping for were records, vintage clothes, and old stuff in general. "Don't feel bad, Saw. I wouldn't even want to be out there now. All those crowds...no, not now."

"Well and you're pregnant. I'm sure your feet would hurt after five minutes."

Cutting her eyes, Charlotte laughed, "I can last longer than that." She laughed again and then looked to her cousin, "But if you want to do lunch we grab a late one and you can come by the house to check out the baby's room. Graham and Ben finished it yesterday."

Sawyer still felt a little sting in her heart when Charlotte had said that. It had been over twenty months since she and Ben had split up but there was still disappointment there. Sawyer was causally seeing someone new and had been for about few months, but it didn't wipe Ben away from her memory, especially when he came back to town for big events. Weddings, holidays, their best friends' pregnancies. Sawyer and Ben were going to have to find a way to peacefully co-exhist. They were working on it.

Sawyer looked to Charlotte and nodded.,"I bet it looks good."

"It does. That's why I want you to come see it."

Sawyer nodded, "Alright. Let me finish this stuff up and we can swing by my place and pick up Trout. Ben had called me and said he wanted to see him."

Charlotte furrowed her brow and shook her head, "He left. Ben left this morning."

"What? He didn't tell me that." Apparently Sawyer and Ben still had communication issues.

Nodding, Charlotte leaned back in her chair, "And I think he stopped by your house yesterday to see Trout. That's what he told me."

Sawyer had wondered if that was the reason the golden retriever had been in a good mood yesterday when she got home. "He didn't say anything about it." Sawyer didn't know why Ben had left her out the dog visitation but it was probably for the best. She was holding on to something that she needed to let go. Sawyer and Ben had run their course. They'd tried and it got all screwed up. Sawyer liked her new boyfriend enough though. Maybe there was still hope for her happy ending.

"Hey..." Charlotte could see that Sawyer was thinking about something, someone, more likely, and she waved her hand out. "So what do you say? Wanna go check out the baby's room?"

Sawyer was kicked from her trance and she nodded, "But first..." She opened up the drawer of her desk and pulled out three cards, "Hypothetically speaking if you were to pick a friend's baby shower invitations which one would you choose?"

Charlotte started to laugh because nothing about this situation was hypothetical.

"And let's just say that this friend's...sister in law who is throwing the party with the best friend likes one of the designs..." Sawyer held one up a little higher, "...while the best friend, cousin, and former roommate likes this one? Which would you choose?"

Biting her lip, Charlotte glanced at the sweet card that Liza had picked versus the one Sawyer liked. "I like the one the _hypothetical_ sister in law picked."

"Really?" Sawyer thought Charlotte would like her choice much better.

"Yeah." Charlotte picked up the little invitation and nodded, "This one is simple and sweet."

Sawyer took a deep breath and rolled her eyes. She didn't like to be wrong. "Liza said you might say that." She scooped up the sample invites and taped the one they were going to use to her computer screen. "I'll be ordering those in a little while."

The click-clack of heels echoed through the old warehouse and into Red Bedroom Records. The younger girls were getting some company from the older.

Haley saw Charlotte first and smiled at her daughter, "I thought I saw your car."

"Hi." The youngest addressed her mom, Peyton and Brooke.

"Ooh, ooh, Charlotte. I've got something at the store I've been wanting to show you."

Peyton laughed and walked over to her desk, "Of course you do, Brooke. Is there any time you don't?"

The raspy voiced brunette tried to think of a time when she wasn't making someone something but she couldn't remember if that had ever happened.

"Did you make me some clothes? I'm in desperate need of a new wardrobe." Charlotte was hoping that was the case.

Brooke's smile got wide and she shrugged, "Maybe."

Sawyer laughed and shook her head, "Hmm? Brooke couldn't _possibly_ make clothes for Charlotte? I don't know if she even knows how to do that?" The younger curly headed blonde was being sarcastic and everyone could tell. Sawyer looked at Brooke and then Charlotte, "Why don't you go a head and go get whatever it is Aunt Brooke has for you and I'll come by later to check out the baby's room."

Peyton was interested in the baby's room because she'd painted a few small little pictures she was gonna give Charlotte at the baby shower. "The walls are yellow, right?"

Excited that the baby's room was done as well, Haley really wanted to go see it. "I might have to go run over there and look for myself."

Charlotte nodded at Peyton and smiled,"It's pretty cute. Graham and Ben did a good job."

"Well chop, chop, Charlotte. Let's get you over to the store so I can give you what you need. Then we can _all_ go see the baby's room."

Everyone laughed at Brooke's enthusiasm and Charlotte did just as her aunt had wanted. She and Brooke made their way to Clothes Over Bro's and when they got to the little corner store Charlotte anxiously awaited to see what Brooke had for her.

"Okay..." Brooke was in the back and brought out box, "I thought I would wait and wrap some of these for your shower but I'll save the baby clothes for that."

"You made baby clothes?"

Brooke nodded, "Of course I did." There was a wide smile plastered over the older woman's face, "But those have to wait." Pulling out an outfit for Charlotte, Brooke held it in front of her. "This because I know that pregnant night sweats are the worst."

Charlotte smiled at the nightgown, "That's going to be great."

"A few cute tops, there's a pair of stretchy jeans you'll be able to wear no matter how far along you are. They're gonna work wonders, trust me."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "Brooke, you didn't have to make so much."

Walking over to the other side of the store, Brooke pulled a dress off a hanger, "And I'm not sure if you've got a dress for your mom and dad's party but this is something that might work."

She hadn't gotten a dress yet and Brooke was quickly becoming a lifesaver.

"And look..." Brooke laughed and walked behind the counter, "These are flats with extra cushy stuff inside."

Charlotte knew that she was surrounded by the kindest people in the world. Not everyone was as fortunate to have their own Aunt Brooke who made beautiful clothes for free; c_omfortable_, beautiful, _maternity_ clothes. Charlotte couldn't wait to see what the baby clothes looked like but she'd get to see them in about six weeks when she had her shower. Until then she'd have to wait it out. There wasn't a lot of waiting, however, in showing the other women of her family the nursery. Charlotte and Brooke had left Clothes Over Bro's and met everyone else at the McFarland house to ooh and ahh over the baby's room. There were still little odds and ends that needed to be added but for the most part the room was done. Everyone loved it.

After an hour or so Charlotte said goodbye to everyone and walked into the master bedroom. She'd exhausted herself in the few hours she'd been out of the house and a nap was looking pretty good. Just about as good as the saltines and mayonnaise she had before she laid down.

When Graham got home the house was quiet and he saw Mack standing in the doorway of the bedroom as if he was protecting whatever was inside.

"Hey, boy." Graham reached out to rub Mack's head and saw Charlotte asleep on their bed. He quietly kicked off his shoes and crawled up next to her. He watched her sleep for a minute and knew that whatever she'd done in the couple hours they'd been apart had worn her out. Graham placed a sweet kiss on her eyebrow and then scooted down to Charlotte's stomach. "Hey little girl." Graham leaned close to Charlotte's belly and rested his cheek against her clothes. "Have I told you the one about the man in the moon?" Graham knew that neither the baby nor Charlotte had heard this story, and even if Charlotte was asleep she'd get a chance to hear it. "A sailor works on the moon. Did you know that?" Graham nodded, "There's an old story that sailors who die at sea work up there and control the stars to help the lost sailors find their way home. They're the ones who..."

Charlotte started to move and Graham stopped his story. Letting out a deep breathe and then a yawn, Charlotte slowly opened her eyes and saw Graham. "Hi."

"I was telling the baby a story."

"You were?" Charlotte smiled and brushed her hand over her eyes.

"The one about the man in the moon."

Charlotte's brows rose, "I haven't heard that one." She rolled on her back and put her hands below her belly, "But I want to."

Graham nodded and cleared his throat, "I'll start over."

Nodding, Charlotte leaned against the pillows and was running her hands softly over her stomach. She loved this. There was something she'd always enjoyed about hearing a story from Graham but watching and listening to him tell it to their baby was even better. It would only be a little bit longer before he got to hold that baby girl and tell her in person, but this was working for now. It would work for forever.

**OTHOTH**

**-7 months along**

The new year and Graham's thirtieth birthday had passed and now it was February. The temperature outside was cold but Charlotte was wrapped up tightly in the covers and the body heat from the other side of the bed was helping. She started to open her eyes but the morning light was shinning in their bedroom with a brightness that hurt Charlotte's vision.

Rolling over, Charlotte looked over to the person next to her and saw a blue eye peek from under the lid. Graham had green eyes. Somebody blue eyed was in her bed.

"Yes, I'm awake. Stop staring."

Laughing, Charlotte turned over and looked at the stealer of the covers, "Has anyone ever told you that you kick and elbow people when your sleeping?"

Sawyer rolled her eyes because she had in fact been told that very thing before, "I can't help it." She stretched and scooted up the bed to sit up. "I think my inner ninja only comes out at night." She laughed at herself but looked at Charlotte sternly, "And can I say that you are the most un-fun person to spoon with."

There was an awkward silence but then Sawyer started to laugh at herself and Charlotte did the same. Sawyer snorted and which made Charlotte laugh so hard that her belly bounced and shook with a violent jolts. Watching that made Sawyer crack up even more and she pointed at her best friend's bump, "Ah-ha,ha!"

Charlotte was surprised at Sawyer's ability to be so loud in the morning when normally it took a lot of poking and prodding to even get her to raise a lid.

When they were done laughing at each other, Sawyer leaned back into the pillows and sighed."And my badass ninja-ness isn't my fault. Graham's the one who didn't want you alone while he was gone. Blame him for you getting kicked."

A sweet smile started to spread across Charlotte's lips as she thought about her husband. Graham had been gone but he was coming home today. Sixteen days out on the Diligence and he was coming back home in a few hours. He'd been pretty cute about leaving though. Graham wasn't going to let his pregnant wife stay home alone. He'd proposed a few plans before he'd left.

_Graham was packing his duffel while Charlotte was reading up on one of her many baby books. He didn't want to leave her for more than two weeks but he didn't really have a choice. The Coast Guard needed him for a Diligence deployment and it was his duty to go._

_He folded one of his shirts and looked to Charlotte, "So I was thinking..."_

_Looking down the nose of her glasses, Charlotte raised her brow, "Yes?"_

"_When I'm gone what if, what if you stayed with your parents?"_

_Charlotte laughed because she thought he was joking._

"_I'm serious, Charlotte. I don't want anything to happen to you while I'm gone." He picked up another shirt and started to fold it._

_Setting down the book, Charlotte smiled at him and shook her head, "Nothing's gonna happen to me." Habitually she rested her hands on her sprawling seven month belly, "We're gonna be just fine."_

_He hoped that was the case but he couldn't help but worry. "What happens if the baby comes early. I don't want you alone. If you don't want to go to your parents, stay with Jamie. Liza's a nurse. She's probably the most experienced person in the family."_

"_Graham..." Charlotte didn't want to blatantly laugh at him but she and the baby were going to be fine. The baby wasn't going to come early and she could take care of herself. "I love you for your concern but..." Charlotte scooted off the bed and it took her a little longer than normal, "...we're gonna be okay. It'll be me and baby waiting for you down by the docks when you get home. You don't need to worry."_

_He looked into her deep brown eyes and nodded. "But will you at least get Sawyer to come over here a couple nights?"_

_Laughing at him, Charlotte nodded and kissed Graham, "If that'll make you feel better."_

_Graham had his hands around her waist and he loved that her belly was poking into him. He nodded and smiled at the young woman in front of him, "It will." He kissed her soft and sweet and the two of them went back to what they'd been doing._

_It was only a few hours later that Graham was driving them down to the Market Street docks. Charlotte was gonna send him off and drive back home. It was a good idea in theory but as soon as she saw the water she started to tear up._

"_You okay?"_

_A little embarrassed that she was getting upset, Charlotte nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm fine."_

_Graham parked in a space and they both got out of the car. Graham slung his bag around his shoulder and they walked down to the boat hand in hand. When they got to the spot where they'd have to separate he tilted his head toward the steps, "I'll have time to video chat with you tonight. The captain knows we're expecting a baby so I think he's gonna be pretty generous with my phone and computer time."_

"_That will be good."_

_Graham nodded and dropped his bag by his feet, taking a step closer to her. "If you think for one second that you might have the baby I'll be on a chopper faster than you know it."_

_That got a smile out of her but she knew that she wasn't gonna have the baby early, and even if she did, not this early. "I love you." She threw her arms around him and held him as close as she could._

_He smiled and leaned down to kiss her neck., "I love you, too."_

"_Be careful." Her brown orbs were transfixed on his green ones._

"_I will." He kissed her one last time and picked up the duffel bag by his feet._

_Charlotte watched him walk up the stairs to get on the boat and she felt her heart rate increase to a speed she knew it had never gone before. Her hormones were all over the place and Charlotte swallowed hard as she watched Graham step on the Diligence. His uniform, his smile; everything about Graham McFarland had Charlotte spinning. She wanted to jump on him and find a bunk big enough for the both of them but she also felt like crying. Her head was a mess._

_The other wives, girlfriends and family members waved goodbye as the boat pulled away from the shore and Charlotte did her best to compose herself but it was hard. She'd done a pretty good job until she got into the car. She was lucky to fit behind the steering wheel but she did and the drive home was a blur of sniffles and tears. Charlotte had made it to the driveway and she pulled out her phone._

"_What's up, Mama Mac."_

"_Can you come over here?"_

_Sawyer had remembered that Graham was leaving this afternoon and the tearful voice from Charlotte told her that she wasn't taking it to well. "You want me to get dinner?"_

"_Chicken wings and pineapple slices."_

_Sawyer scrunched up her face but whatever pregnant Charlotte wanted, pregnant Charlotte was gonna get. "I'll be there in a little while." _

There was no telling how many chicken wings the two girls had consumed over the last two weeks but it was a lot. Sawyer had been on Charlotte duty but Graham was on his way home to take care of his girl. On his way home to take care of _both_ of his girls.

Charlotte was still lying in bed and she slowly got up, "What do you think I should wear?"

Sawyer furrowed her brow and laughed, "I really don't think it matters. He's not gonna be paying attention to what you wear."

"Well I want to look good."

Still laughing, Sawyer knew that Charlotte wasn't really seeing the big picture. "You're having _his_ baby, Charlotte. You could go naked and he would think you're the most beautiful person in the world. Hell, just throw on your bathrobe."

Realizing that somewhere in there, there was a compliment, Charlotte nodded, "Maybe I'll throw on some of his sweats?"

"Go for it."

With her pregnant belly slowing down her every move, getting dressed took much longer than usual but Charlotte finally got around to changing.

"Should I drive you or are you good?"

"I'm fine." Charlotte nodded and started to smile like an excited school girl. "As long as I can fit in the driver's seat I'll be fine."

Sawyer laughed out loud, "But won't the chair move back?"

"Yeah but then I can't reach the pedals." She looked her cousin up and down, "Not everybody in the world is five, eight."

When both young women were ready they walked outside to their respective cars and Sawyer cranked hers up first. Charlotte stuck her hand out the window and gave Sawyer a thumbs up. She could fit in her car. Sawyer honked twice letting Charlotte know she saw and the blonde drove away while Charlotte headed to the water.

Charlotte was so excited that when she parked she forgot to put the car in _park_. She rolled a few inches before she knew what she'd done wrong. Laughing at herself as she got out of the car and she could see that big white boat coming up the Cape Fear. It was perfect timing.

Graham saw the shore but he couldn't make out the people. One of them was Charlotte though. He didn't have to see her to know she was there. It didn't take long for him to spot her when they were close enough though. She was wearing his old clothes and she'd never looked more beautiful. Pregnant, radiant, and beautiful. His smile matched hers and as soon as he could get off the boat he made his way to her.

She'd done this before. Charlotte had been the one waiting at the docks having him walk towards her uniform and all, but this felt different. He looked so handsome in his all-blue utility outfit.

"Hi." Charlotte was the first to speak and when he was close enough he returned the greeting.

"Hi." His lips landed on hers and his hands were magnetically attracted to her stomach. "I missed you."

Charlotte clutched the fabric of his collar and nodded, "I missed you, too."

"How are you doing?" Graham looked to Charlotte and then his eyes landed on her stomach.

"We're doing just fine. Both of us." Charlotte smiled up to him and took his hand, "Let's get you home."

The couple drove to their home and Graham was nearly knocked over by Mack when he walked inside.

Charlotte smiled at her husband and dog, "I think somebody missed you."

Graham had knelt down to greet Mack and ducked his head when he felt a slimy tongue run over his ear. "Okay, okay, Mack I missed you too, bud." Graham laughed and stood back up. He dropped his bag and both he and Charlotte walked into the living room. Graham plopped down on the couch and Charlotte slid next to him.

She rested her head on Graham's shoulder and enjoyed the fact that he was home again.

Graham ran his hand over her stomach and raised his brow, "Has she been kicking a lot lately?"

"Not too much. Not as much as Sawyer." He looked at her funny and she just laughed. "It's a long story."

"I was thinking about names out on the water." Graham moved his thumb so it brushed against the curve of her stomach.

"You were? What did you have in mind?"

"It's not really a name you hear a lot." He wasn't sure if she was going to like it but it was worth a shot. It had crossed his mind one night while he was swaying in his bunk as the waves rocked the boat, and the more he said it the more he liked it. "Hattie."

"Hattie?"

Graham nodded, "I was thinking about when we went to the beach this summer and you told me about the baby. It just kept popping into my head."

Charlotte liked the name and the connotation around it, even if it was subtle. "Hattie McFarland?"

"I really like it."

"So...you like it?" The soon to be father looked at his wife with a curious smirk. She wasn't just saying that, was she?

The fact that Graham had seemed so sure about it, the way he'd said it, and the way it sounded was perfect for a little girl. "I love it." Charlotte nodded and leaned up to kiss him. "Hattie McFarland sounds perfect. Now we just have to figure out a middle name."

Graham was happy that Charlotte liked the name and it was nice to have a name for the baby instead of Baby Mac, or little girl McFarland.

"Anne?" It just came out of Charlotte' mouth but she nodded when he looked at him.

Turning to Charlotte he smiled. "After my mom?"

Charlotte nodded, "I think so. I like it. And if it's okay with you."

It was more than okay with him. If it was what Charlotte wanted it was what he wanted. "Hattie Anne McFarland?"

Hearing their daughter's full name from his mouth gave Charlotte chills, but the good kind of chills. She had a name, and it was a good one. It wasn't one that someone else would have and it was unique and significant for Charlotte and Graham. They liked it and that was all that mattered.

**OTHOTH**

**-April 24th **

The last two days Charlotte had been on the phone calling everyone she knew who had ever had a baby to make sure she understood what contractions were supposed to feel like. Liza had the best medical definition. Peyton had the funniest, comparing them to listening to high school cover bands with a lead singer going through puberty. Brooke had been induced so she was more or less out of it when she had contractions. Haley had the best explanation. She'd told Charlotte what she'd experienced and how she'd been unsure of what to expect. Every woman and every pregnancy was different but Haley had said that her contractions were back contractions, and that it's mostly about feeling changes in pressure.

While all the motherly knowledge was helpful nothing quite compared to actually experiencing it.

It was about 4:00 in the afternoon, a Wednesday, and Graham had just gotten home from work. Charlotte had been reading on the back porch when he walked outside.

"Hey."

Graham smiled and sat down in a nearby chair. "I'm so tired. We were training some of the new swimmers this week and I never thought I'd work as hard as those young guys." He stretched his arm and grimaced, "My crew thought it would be funny to have rescue swimmers Olympics. The twenty year olds verse the thirty year olds. Drew was determined we could show them up."

Charlotte smiled because it was cute thinking of the young swimmers looking up to Graham. "I'm sorry you're sore." She laughed and leaned over to rub on his shoulder, "I bet you won, though."

He nodded, "We did." Graham gingerly sat back in his chair and looked at his wife, "How about you? Have you felt any contractions?"

Charlotte shook her head, "I don't think so. I'm tired but...that's not new."

Graham smiled and rested his head in his palm, "I guess it will be an early night for us, huh?"

"Probably." Charlotte watched Graham yawn and she yawned right after him. She laughed at herself and their exhaustion. They would certain be asleep early.

With the shape they were in it wasn't unbelievable that they were getting ready for bed around eight. They probably wouldn't go to bed that early but they were tired enough to simply lay with each other until they did fall asleep. Graham would probably want to watch the History Channel whereas Charlotte would change it periodically to the Food Channel.

Graham had changed clothes first and he was climbing to bed when Charlotte changed. She walked into the bathroom to wash her face and stayed in there a little longer than normal.

"Charlotte?"

The bathroom door opened and Charlotte was holding her big belly, "My...my water broke."

"What?" Graham tried to kick off the comforter but his feet were getting tangle and he managed to fall out of the bed. "It's time?"

"It's time." She nodded with a cute laugh.

Graham was normally an extremely composed guy but this was more than he could comprehend. "Uh, uh, uh..."

Charlotte bit her lip as she watched him in a frenzy and she pointed at the suitcase they'd packed. "Grab that. You're keys are in the kitchen. I can go to the hospital in this." She walked over to the side of the bed, sat down and started to put her shoes on.

Graham quickly changed into some pants that weren't flannel and walked over to Charlotte. He knew she couldn't get her shoes on by herself, not with that giant belly in her way. "I got it." He helped get her shoes on and then pulled Charlotte to her feet. He'd managed to come back down to Earth after his initial panic and he kissed her out of excitement. "We're gonna have a baby."

"I know."

The duo made it to the car and they were on their way to the hospital. Charlotte had been breathing in steady rhythms and her serenity was keeping Graham calm. She knew that her parents needed to know that their next grandchild was on her way. Dialing her parents' phone number, Charlotte pressed the phone to her ear.

"Hello?"

"Hi, Dad."

Nathan smiled when he heard his youngest, "Hey, Char."

Letting out a soft laugh, Charlotte reached out and held Graham's hand, "You and mom should probably come to the hospital."

"You're having the baby?" Given that Charlotte was due any minute it wasn't a hard conclusion to come to.

Charlotte nodded, "I think so."

"Haley! Where are you? We gotta go."

Smiling because she could hear her father yell, Charlotte glanced to Graham and knew their lives were about to change.

"We'll be there soon."

"Bye, Dad. I love you."

"Love you too, Charlotte."

The twenty six year old hung up the phone and looked at Graham with a bit of nervous excitement. "Do you want me to call your parents?"

Graham wanted his parents there but he'd call them when they were sure the baby was coming tonight. That was a long drive for them to start if Charlotte was mistaken.

Admittance into the hospital was relatively quick and easy. Charlotte's water had in fact broken and she was already about 2 centimeters dilated. Around 9:00pm Nathan and Haley got to the hospital and saw Graham in the hallway. He was on the phone with his parents, and when he said goodbye to them he spoke to his in laws.

"How's she doing?" Nathan was the first to ask.

"Good, good. Everything's going good." Graham looked over his shoulder to Charlotte's room. "Dr. Walker is in with her now. I wanted to call my parents and tell them they'd have another granddaughter in the next few hours." He laughed and started walking towards the door, "You can come in if you want."

Haley followed Graham and Nathan was just behind her.

"You're progressing nicely and we'll just have to play the waiting game for now." Dr. Walker was looking at Charlotte's monitors and nodded.

Charlotte heard the door open and smiled at her husband and parents.

"Hi, honey." Haley walked straight to her youngest and reached for her hand, "How are you doing?"

Taking a deep breath, the young woman nodded, "I'm doing well. A little nervous."

"Everything is going smooth so far. I expect a healthy delivery." Dr. Walker agreed with Charlotte and looked at her family. "I'll come back to check on you in an hour. If things start to progress faster I'll come back to go through your delivery plan."

"Thanks, Doctor Walker." Graham shook the doctor's hand and watched him walk away.

"Did you call your mom and dad, honey?" Charlotte moved a little bit as she felt a mild contraction pass.

Graham nodded, "I did. They should be here in about four hours."

Haley looked at her husband, "Do you want to make sure Graham knows were the ice maker is and the cafeteria? We may be here all night."

Charlotte nodded, "That's a good idea, Dad." She knew that her family had mass experience in the Tree Hill hospital. It wasn't unlikely for someone related to the Scotts to pass through a time or two, or three, or _way_ more than that.

"You want me to get you anything?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte politely declined, "I'm okay right now. Thanks, though."

When the two men left the room Haley pulled up the chair and sat close to her daughter's bed.

"I'm really nervous, Mom."

Haley shook her head and held Charlotte's hand tighter, "You're going to do so good. You're gonna have a _baby_." It was still a bit surreal but it was happening. Her baby was having a baby.

"Were you nervous?"

Haley nodded and left out a laugh, "With you brother everything happened so fast. One minute I was giving my speech, one minute I'm in the ambulance, the next I have a beautiful baby boy."

Charlotte couldn't imagine what it was like to go through this as a high school senior. "I wish I were as brave as you."

"Honey you are brave." Haley nodded, "You're the bravest person I know. _You_ make _me_ brave." Haley had said the same thing to Nathan years ago but the truth was that they all made her brave. They all fed off each other and what one Scott had, the rest did.

"What if I can't get through the delivery? I think I'm most nervous about that."

"You will. Something inside of you kind of takes over and things you never thought you could go through, you do. And it's all worth it. Every single contraction, every anything. It's seems far less important when the nurse brings you your baby and puts her in your arms. The world slows down and anything you were ever scared about or nervous for goes away. You see this tiny, incredible little human and you'll look over to Graham and think nothing else matters. Nothing in this world has ever been more precious."

Hearing her mom say all that shook off Charlotte's nerves but there was another contraction that was coming. "Ugh."

"Hold on, just a little bit longer." Haley breathed out deeply hoping Charlotte would mimic her. "Almost past it."

Charlotte closed her eyes and took deep breaths as the contraction passed. "Is it over?"

Haley nodded, "That was it."

The mother and daughter continued to talk about this and that while Graham and Nathan made their way back to Charlotte's room.

Graham's mind was racing about a thousand miles a minute and he looked to his father in law, "I don't know what to expect."

Nathan understood where Graham was coming from. "It's hard to describe it. I don't know if anyone is really ready for parenthood. It's the best thing that can happen to you though. Personally and for you and Charlotte as a couple."

Nodding, Graham shoved his hands in his pockets, "I just hope I'm the kind of dad Charlotte wants me to be."

"You will be. I was worried Haley might think the same kind of thing. I wasn't the brightest tool in the shed but..."

Graham found himself smiling because Nathan had gotten that wrong. Bright bulb in the box, sharpest tool in the shed.

"But it comes pretty natural. I was scared because they're so small at first, but you know that your the guy who's gonna protect them from everything, keep them safe." Nathan nodded and looked at his son in law. "One of the hardest parts was when Haley was in pain during labor and delivery. There wasn't much I could do but be there for her." He laughed and squeezed his hand, "I think she about broke my hand when we had Charlotte. I'd underestimated her strength."

Graham laughed and nodded, "I think Charlotte's got a pretty good grip so I've got to worry about my hands I guess."

Nathan smiled and patted Graham on the back, "You're gonna be just fine, Graham."

The men approached Charlotte's door and they walked into her room

"How's it going, Char?"

Charlotte was pretty uncomfortable but other than the obvious she feeling pretty good. "I'm ready for this show to get on the road."

Haley laughed and got up so Graham could take her seat. "Here Graham. They'll probably start limiting the people who can be in here. Nathan and Haley were going to let the couple have their own space for a while.

Nathan walked over to Charlotte and kissed her sweetly on the forehead, "I'm proud of you, Charlotte."

Nodding at her father, Charlotte smiled and watched her parents leave the room. She leaned back in her bed and started to take deep breaths. Graham sat down and took her hand.

"I talked to Ben. He was getting the first flight out of Texas he could."

Charlotte smiled, "I should tell Sawyer but..." She glanced at her watch and knew that Sawyer wasn't going to want to be woken up now and probably not until the baby was actually born. "I figured when it get's closer we can call everyone else. Sawyer, Jamie, _Brooke_."

Graham laughed when Charlotte said Brooke because quite frankly he was surprised she wasn't already here.

Rolling on her side, Charlotte rode out another contraction and Graham could tell that Nathan wasn't kidding when he'd said Graham needed to watch out for his hands. Charlotte might actually do some damage when the pain got really bad.

She saw that he was looking at her hands and she laughed with a sarcastic grimace, "Sorry if I'm squeezing too hard."

"No it wasn't that." It kind of was but Graham had been studying her ring. "I was just thinking how dumb I was to drop that thing."

Charlotte laughed and held out her hand. She was so swollen that she tried pulling on her ring but it wasn't moving. "I don't think we'll have to worry about this thing ever coming off." She glanced at the ring and then to Graham, "And I loved that you dropped it. When I found it in the sand..." Charlotte felt a blush surge to her cheeks and she shook her head, "I didn't know what to think. Well, I knew what to think but...I wasn't expecting it."

Graham laughed and nodded, "I think I told you it was a nickle, right? That I dropped a nickel?"

Charlotte smiled, "And I wanted you to leave it in the sand for the old men to pick up."

"I would have had to fight an old man to get that ring back."

A contraction was passing and Charlotte laughed through the pain, "I would have liked to see you, stand up guy, Lieutenant Graham McFarland beat up an old guy."

Graham furrowed his brow and nodded, "I'd beat up an old guy for you."

Charlotte smiled and rolled her eyes, "No you wouldn't."

"I would." He nodded and kissed inside of her wrist.

Even when she was feeling gross and sweaty, uncomfortable and tired Graham had a way of making her feel better. He always did. He made the hours pass easier and the contractions a _little_ less painful. Graham was there for Charlotte every step of the way.

Dr. Walker came into Charlotte's room at 4:17am, and when he saw that she was fully dilated, it was time to move Charlotte into the delivery room.

Graham quickly put on his scrubs and went to tell the four grandparents what was going on. He got a hug from all four of them. His mom's lingered a little bit longer than everyone but Nathan, Haley, Mitchell and Anne were all ecstatic. When he'd left their parents, Graham made his way to Charlotte and started to get really nervous when Dr. Walker told Charlotte to push.

Everything after that all blurred together, but when they heard their baby cry it was the best sound either of them had ever heard.

"Congratulations, it's a healthy baby girl."

Charlotte saw a tiny baby in Dr. Walker's hands and raised her hand to her mouth so she could hold back some of her tears. And she wasn't the only one. Graham was told to cut the cord and his hands were shaking so bad that a nurse had to guide him. His bleary vision was cloudy because he was looking at baby they'd been waiting to meet for the last nine months.

One nurse took the baby from Dr. Walker to clean her up and Graham looked at the new mom. "We have a baby Charlotte." Nodding, Charlotte's brow furrowed and she blinked through the tears. Graham leaned down and kissed her, "You did great. You did so good." He kissed her again and rested his forehead on hers.

"Here we go, Mom and Dad. Here's your baby girl."

Charlotte took a deep breath and held out her arms. The baby was bundled up in a soft blanket. "Hi, Hattie. Hi." Charlotte kissed the baby's forehead and looked at her husband, "She's beautiful, Graham."

Feeling a lump in his throat, Graham looked down at the woman who'd just given him a daughter and his breath left his lungs. His heart felt like it was going to explode and that baby in Charlotte's arms was everything they wanted and everything they needed.

"Say hi to Daddy, Hattie. "

Graham held out his hand and gently touched the little girl's cheek.

The parents got to meet their new daughter for a little while and then a nurse took Hattie away. "We're gonna take her to the nursery. Dad, if you want to follow me you can. Mom, we're gonna wheel you back to your room so you can rest and recover.

Charlotte knew this part was coming but it didn't mean she wanted to leave her newborn daughter, "How long will I have to wait?"

"Just a little while."

The nurse took Hattie from Charlotte, and Graham and the baby made their way to the nursery while Charlotte went back to her room. The nursery was relatively quiet and when Graham got the okay he was able to hold the baby and walk up to the window where his family was waiting. Someone had instructed them to gather around and he walked up to show off the new baby.

"Here." The nurse gave Graham the bin card and told him to hold it up so they could read her full name, weight, and height.

"Look, Hattie. Can you see all these people? This is your family." Graham smiled through the glass and held up the little card so everyone could read it.

Haley felt her breath catch when she saw the little girl and she leaned against Nathan's chest for support. Quietly, Haley smiled and whispered to herself, "Welcome to the world, Hattie Anne McFarland."

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. Charlotte and Graham are parents. Yay! There could have been some pregnancy stuff you may have wanted to see but there are other chances I can include it. I didn't want to show _everything_ the first time around. You know what I mean. I don't want the other pregnancies to be repetitive. But anyways, next chapter will likely focus on Charlotte and Graham as new parents. Any request on what I show? Feel free to let me know.**

**My reviewers consistently inspire me to continue this story! Thank so much!**

**Tasha****: I'm glad you are enjoying Sawyer's story. Her character is really entertaining to write. Thanks for the feedback for Charlotte's last chapter. I'm happy you liked it.**

**TP404****: Thanks for the review! I'm so glad you liked the previous chapter!**

**Joan****: The part when Charlotte finds out about Haley's miscarriage was something I thought was important, so I'm happy you liked that part. **

**BDavis****: I liked that Charlotte went to talk with Brooke first as well. I thought it was pretty logical for Charlotte to go see Brooke first considering her baby woes, and sometimes it's easier to talk to someone other than your mom about stuff. Ha, I'm glad you were so excited about the pregnancy!**

**Hadley****: I really have a good time write the character interaction in most chapters and I particularly enjoyed the Charlotte Haley stuff from last chapter. I'm happy you liked it!**

**Laura****: The Charlotte/Nathan, Char/Haley, Char/Brooke stuff is always fun to do so I'm glad you liked that!**

**Anon****: Yeah, I never thought that Haley would have really talked to Charlotte about the miscarriage. It's just not the kind of thing you bring up. But after Charlotte's I felt like it was a nice time to bring it back up and have the mother/daughter bond going on. Ha, yeah, Charlotte and Graham will be filling their house with kids for real this time. One down and...however many left to go.**

**Review Please!**


	20. These New Born Feelings

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 20: These New Born Feelings**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely everything relating to OTH. Ha, I kid, I kid.**

**A/N: Long delay, I know. Sorry 'bout that. As my junior year of college came to a close, moving into a new apartment and summer classes took its place, then I got kidney stones, then I had to take the Praxis exam, blah, blah, blah...it's been hectic. Last chapter I introduced you guys to Charlotte and Graham's first baby and this one showcases them as new parents. I hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was talking with a nurse about breast feeding, nervous that when they got home she wouldn't do as good a job without the hospital staff giving her tips and pointers,when Graham walked in the room. He'd pulled the car around and they were ready to leave the hospital. All three of them.

When Graham set foot in the hospital room his breath left his chest. It was an experience he was going to have to get used to. Both of his girls looked beautiful. Charlotte's hair was a mess and she didn't have a stitch of makeup on, but watching her hold their adorable baby girl was a sight that would forever be ingrained in his memory.

"Hey, is the car ready?" Charlotte looked to Graham with a smile and with Hattie in her arms.

Nodding, Graham walked toward her. "And I sent our moms to the store so they could shop for a while until we get settled in."

Letting out a laugh, Charlotte smiled thankful of the idea. She looked from her husband to their daughter and knew that when they went home they'd want to be alone for at least a little while. She loved her mom and she loved Anne; Charlotte loved all of her family but right now she wanted to revel in the moments where it could be just the three of them.

Graham got Charlotte's bag on his shoulder and walked behind her wheelchair, "Ready?"

Looking down at the little girl who had the same brown eyes Charlotte had- the same eyes she'd inherited from her mother, Charlotte nodded when Hattie yawned. A small tear slid from the corner of the baby's eye and the new mom carefully caught it with her finger. Looking back to Graham, she nodded, "Yeah." As the the wheels started to turn, Charlotte looked to the woman who'd helped teach her how to nurse, "Thank you."

"Congratulations to the both of you." The older woman smiled kindly and nodded toward the couple.

Graham wheeled Charlotte and Hattie to the car and after they got the baby situated in the car seat, the Coastie drove toward home. Charlotte got in the back seat, as most new mothers did, and smiled at the sleeping baby. Getting to go home as new parents had taken longer than she thought but looking at how delicate, beautiful, and perfect Hattie was, Charlotte wouldn't have changed any of it. Anything painful they'd gone through over the last year was wiped away. The ten tiny fingers and ten tiny toes, were worth more than Charlotte could comprehend.

"Should I go straight or left up here?" Graham looked in the mirror to Charlotte and wanted her advice on their route home.

"Uh...straight I guess?"

Graham pulled up to the red light turned around to face his family, "Is she asleep?"

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded and stared at the little girl, and then quietly laughed, "For now."

"Maybe we'll be one of those lucky couples? The ones whose baby sleeps through the night."

Charlotte didn't want to squash his wishful thinking but after hearing her mom, Liza, Brooke and Peyton go on and on about how rough the first couple months were Graham's thoughts didn't seem likely. "Maybe."

After he pulled onto their street, Charlotte felt the car dip when Graham drove into the driveway. She got Hattie securely in her arms and Graham protectively put his hand on the small of Charlotte's back to guide her to the door.

When the thirty year old Coastie opened up the front door he was met by an excited golden furball. "Hey, Mack."

"I guess we should introduce them, huh?" Charlotte looked down at their daughter and then to their first baby. Mack had been their pride and joy for three years.

"Yeah. Here..." Graham took Hattie from Charlotte and knelt down cautiously.

"Wait, Graham, should you just stick her so close, so soon?" Charlotte suddenly got nervous that Mack might not be so loving as they assumed. She knew he'd never hurt her but this new mom persona was giving her worries she never thought she had.

Graham glanced to the dog and talked sweetly first. "Look, Mack."

The golden retriever stuck his nose close to the baby as Graham protectively held Hattie out and Mack smelled the small child, curious as to what his mom and and dad were bringing home.

"Oh, don't lick her! Ew!" Charlotte gently swatted Mack's face away with a laugh when the dog's tongue got dangerously close to Hattie's blanket.

Graham laughed and looked up from the floor, "I think he likes her."

Charlotte nodded and then heard Hattie start to fuss. The fuss became a cry and that quickly became a wail. The new mom took the newborn knowing the little girl probably wanted to eat. It was going to become pretty routine over the next couple months. Eat, sleep, poop; and cry in between all of those.

As the shrill cries echoed off the walls Mack ran quickly to the bedroom and Graham laughed when he turned back to Charlotte, "Well I think l he likes _her_, just not the crying."

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head as she walked to Hattie's room. She opened the door and walked around the nursery. "Your daddy and Uncle Ben painted this room for you." Hattie's cries had started to calm and Charlotte nodded, "They did a pretty good job, didn't they?" Gently sitting down in the rocking chair Mitch had made, Charlotte looked around the pale lavender walls and then to her daughter. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

While Charlotte settled into the feeding process Graham walked into the master bedroom and saw a yellow tail sticking out from under the bed. He bent down smiling and stuck his hand under the frame until he met Mack's soft coat. "Whatcha doing under there, boy? Come here." Graham could hear Mack rustling under the bed and saw the dog's snout inch out into the sunlight. As if telling an older sibling that they were still important, Graham sat down on the bed and looked down at the golden retriever. "Things are gonna be different around here." Graham pulled the hospital smell over his shoulders and tossed his shirt in the hamper with a bewildered laugh, "I'm a dad." Saying it out loud, even to Mack, made Graham smile. He shook his head with curious excitement and walked over to his dresser throwing on a fresh shirt. "Can you believe it?" Turning on the baby monitor he could here Charlotte's soft voice and Hattie's baby gurgles.

Mack made his way fully out from under the bed and rubbed up against Graham. Patting the dog's back, the Coastie nodded, "When she gets older she'll probably pull your tail and try to ride you like a horse." Laughing, Graham shook his head with a laugh, "She might." While Graham glanced down to their dog he couldn't help but feel like if those future predictions ever came true and Hattie had her toddler way with Mack, the father in him wouldn't be able to get mad. That girl was just a few days old and was wrapped around his finger just as the ocean's tides clung to shore.

Headed out of the bedroom, Graham made his way to the nursery with Mack following his every step. Leaning into the door frame, Graham crossed his arms against his chest, "How's it going?"

Charlotte nodded, "Good." She watched as her husband walked closer and nodded, "I think we're getting the hang of it." The old gray t-shirt he was wearing was one of her favorites and she lightly touched the fabric when he knelt down beside them.

Graham smiled and kissed her. He couldn't fight the urge to press his lips to hers because watching Charlotte feed their newborn was sending his heart into overdrive. "You need anything?"

"I think we're okay." She shook her head at his offer. Charlotte felt a little selfish that she was the one who was getting to feed Hattie all the time lately, but they hadn't even opened up the breast pump yet. "Do you want to burp her when we're done?"

Nodding, Graham smiled, "Yeah, sure." He wanted to be as hands on as he could.

A few more minutes passed and then Graham became cautiously protective when he took Hattie in his arms. She was just so little. Tiny. He cradled her head and started to rhythmically pat on the baby's back. Charlotte was still in the rocking chair and was exhausted from everything but watching Graham and Hattie was like a jolt of caffeine to her system. They were adorable. Graham was the type of father Charlotte always thought he would be.

A powerful burp, echoed from the baby's lips and Graham turned to Charlotte humorously. "Geez."

"I know." Charlotte laughed, "She get's that from you."

"Me?" Graham shook his head, "That's all you, Charlotte. Who's the one who sounds like a angry walrus when she has too much champagne?"

Charlotte's cheeks turned pink. "I don't sound like a walrus." She tried to hide her embarrassment with a laugh but it was true. Just like her mom, anytime she ever had champagne, Charlotte became a burping machine.

Smiling with a cute smirk, Graham looked at their daughter, "Two New Year's Eve's ago your mom could have substituted for the fireworks." Hattie burped one last time and Graham laughed, "So I've got a walrus and a mini walrus on my hands."

Charlotte yawned as she got up out of her chair and walked up to her husband. She gently ran a couple fingers over Hattie's back and looked into Graham's green eyes, "She's a pretty cute walrus though, huh?"

"Well, I guess if..." Graham caught Charlotte's eye and shook his head with a smile, "She's a mini you, Charlotte." He softly kissed Hattie's forehead and nodded to the brown eyed girl next to him, "She's beautiful."

Feeling herself smile, the new mom walked past Graham and Hattie. Headed downstairs, Charlotte changed like Graham had done and then climbed on the bed with the instructions for the breast pump. Her contacts were out, glasses on, she was wearing one of Graham's t-shirts and her comfort level and exhaustion did not bode well for gaining ground of figuring out how to work the pump.

Ten minutes later Graham made his way into the master bedroom with a sleeping Hattie in his arms. Stopping to admire Charlotte's sleeping form, he shook his head with a smile. She was sunken in the pillows a little on her side. The box to the breast pump was on the bed and the instructions were next to her hand. Glancing down at the baby he laughed quietly, "Now I've got two _sleeping_ walruses."

Graham walked out into the living room so he could let Charlotte sleep and turned the television on. He muted the volume and leaned back on the couch reveling in the feeling that the seven pound little girl was leaving on his chest. He carefully switched her position hoping she wouldn't wake up and Graham took a moment to study her, to marvel in the fact that this little person in his arms was finally home.

Twenty or so minutes passed when he heard the front door open and he saw his mom and Haley walk in with a few grocery bags. They didn't really need to do anything but as the grandmothers it was hard for Charlotte and Graham to tell them no.

Anne saw her son on the couch and since he was being so still she knew that her newest granddaughter must have been in his arms. In a quiet voice, Mrs. McFarland walked over to him, "Hey...is she asleep?"

Graham nodded and looked at his mom and Haley, "Both of them are."

Haley wasn't surprised that Charlotte was asleep, "Since you two are gonna be busy we grabbed a few things that make easy dinners."

"Thank you." He nodded towards the older women as they walked into the kitchen. When they passed him on their third trip to the car Graham furrowed his brow, "How much stuff did you get? Do I need to help bring in bags?"

Shaking her head, Haley smiled appreciatively. "No. We've just about got it." She may have been saying that so Graham didn't feel bad about not helping but he was doing exactly what he needed. Taking care of their granddaughter was far more important than lending a hand with groceries.

After Haley and Anne put up everything they'd bought, Haley couldn't help but check on Charlotte while Anne admired the baby in her son's arms.

"How's it being a first time parent?" Mrs. McFarland quietly whispered to her son as she smiled at the sleeping baby.

Graham turned from Hattie to his mom and shrugged, "Uneventful so far. We haven't really been home for much to happen yet."

"Well I have a feeling you and Charlotte can tackle just about anything." Graham's mom patted his leg and nodded.

While Anne assured her son that they could master whatever parenthood threw at them, Haley crept into the master bedroom and saw her twenty six year old asleep on the bed in a position she'd seen before. The image threw Haley back in time when Charlotte was in high school. The times when she'd fall asleep studying; books strewn on the bed, note cards in hand, glasses still on. Now nearly ten years later and Haley couldn't help but reach for Charlotte's glasses. After the one time Charlotte broke her glasses after she'd fallen asleep in them she vowed she'd never make that mistake again, so Haley gently took them off and placed them on the bedside table. She quietly scooted the breast pump and directions to the other side of the bed, and before she left the room she hit the lights. A sudden smile spread across Haley's face because fifteen years from now Charlotte would be in Haley's position. Hattie would have final exams or a big paper and in fifteen years Charlotte begin a habit that would never grow old. It didn't matter how old her children got, it was a motherly instinct that would always stay with her.

Once Haley left Charlotte and Graham's bedroom she walked into the living room and smiled at the two adults, "She's out like a like light."

Graham nodded with a smirk and held out Hattie, "Like mother, like daughter." He almost added that they even burp the same but the new dad figured neither his mom nor her Haley would appreciate that similarity.

"Well we'll get out of your hair." Mrs. McFarland got up and reached for her purse, "Call tomorrow, okay"

"Sure, and thanks for our groceries."

Both women nodded and left the father and daughter alone in peaceful silence, but that silence didn't last long. It wasn't a cry that first got Graham's attention. It was a smell.

Graham's nose smelt something a little...off, so he looked around to see if Mack was under his feet but the golden retriever wasn't. With a furrowed brow, Graham hesitantly leaned toward the baby and coiled back a little when he caught a whiff of his daughter. "Ugh, that's you?" Graham had never smelt something so repulsive in his life. "Ugh, Hattie..." Graham got off the couch and started to make his way to the nursery when he realized the magnitude of the situation. Hattie had a dirty diaper and Charlotte was asleep. This was all on him.

When the duo got into the nursery and Hattie was on the changing table, Graham looked at the baby like an unsolvable math equation. In the hospital the nurses were there to help and show him how to properly do this, but suddenly his memory had failed him and he wasn't sure were to begin.

"Uh...your clothes. Let me get your clothes off." Graham was going to have to talk himself through this.

Downstairs Charlotte was starting to wake up when she heard a familiar voice. Graham was talking to the baby. Opening up her eyes, the new mom realized that she'd fallen asleep when she was reading the breast pump instructions. Thankful that someone moved her glasses, Charlotte reached for them on the bedside table and looked around the room with clear vision but realized that neither her husband nor daughter were in the room. Furrowing her brow, Charlotte looked around puzzled and then heard his voice.

"Okay, so...your diaper. That's gotta go."

Seeing the baby monitor on the dresser, Charlotte couldn't help but smile as she listened to Graham coach himself through his first solo diaper change. She remembered that her mom had told her stories of her dad doing similar things and figured it must be a new dad technique.

"Ugh." Graham got the diaper opened and tried not to gag. "UGH!" He turned away and took a deep breath.

Charlotte couldn't help but laugh and covered her mouth as if he could hear her end of the monitor.

With the crook of his elbow covering his mouth and nose, Graham counted to three and did his best with the wipes. Hattie started to cry when the cold wipe touched her bare bottom and Graham's flustered state heightened. "No, no. It's okay. I'm sorry. Shh." Graham quickly tried to get the new diaper on and shook his head at his fumbling hands, "I know, I know. I'm not good at this yet."

Charlotte couldn't see any of what was going on but the sound was more than enough to create a visual picture.

"God, I hope this isn't on backwards. Is it on backwards?" Graham looked down at the diaper he was in the middle of putting on and tilted his head thinking a different angle would help.

Hattie started getting even more fussy and Graham could feel the sweat start to pool. "We're almost done. Almost." He tried his best to go as fast as he could but he didn't want her diaper to fall off or miss a snap on her onesie.

The sweetness in his voice throughout Graham's one sided conversation was endearing. Charlotte sat on the bed and listened to the rest while she went back to reading the pump instructions.

"Alright? Better?" Looking down at his newborn, Graham arched his brow and carefully picked her up. "That wasn't so bad,was it? I did okay?" The dad and daughter made their way back to the living room, but before he sat down he figured he's at least stick his head in to check on Charlotte. To his surprise she was sitting up in bed reading.

Looking up when she heard the floor creak, Charlotte smiled, "Hey."

Graham made his way over to the bed and sat down, "Have you been up long?"

"Not really." Charlotte leaned back and brushed her finger along Hattie's blanket. "How'd the diaper change go?"

Curious as to how she knew about that, Graham started to ask but saw Charlotte look to the baby monitor. "You heard it?" He laughed at himself and shook his head. Had he known that he would have had an audience he probably would have kept his pep-talk to a minimum. "How'd I sound? Like I didn't know what I was doing?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte scooted back on the bed and shook her head. "Mmm-ugh." She smiled at their baby and then at Graham, "You sounded like a dad."

Graham couldn't help but smile and nodded, "Yeah, well..." Glancing at Hattie, Graham watched her yawn, "It was a team effort."

As Graham continued to admire the little girl in his arms Charlotte couldn't help but feel her heart swell. The way he'd been and how he was, there was absolutely nothing she'd change. "Hey?"

Turning to Charlotte, Graham arched his brow, "Huh?"

Her big brown eyes landed on his green ones and she started to smile. "I love you."

The thirty year old Coastie leaned toward Charlotte and kissed her with a smile, "I love you, too."

While Charlotte and Graham were having a sweet little moment their new baby started to fuss and they both saw that she was moving her mouth like she was hungry.

"That's my cue." Charlotte held out her arms so Graham could hand Hattie over.

Instantaneously when Charlotte situated herself to feed the baby Graham took over reading the instructions for the pump. Picking up where Charlotte had left off, Graham knew that this was how it was going to be. He'd pick up where she left off and she'd do the same. They were in this together.

**OTHOTH**

The first fifteen weeks had been a sleepless cycle of waking up every two hours for feedings, diaper changes, crying spells, and everything else in between. Hattie wasn't sleeping through the night but she was getting there. They were all getting there.

Charlotte eyed herself in the mirror after she parked in the driveway and sighed when she saw the circles around her brown orbs. She'd slipped out of the house to do some early morning errands before Graham left for work, but was quickly realizing she should have put at least a little foundation on. Flipping up the visor, Charlotte shook away her bad reflection and laughed. What were circles in comparison to a baby? Reaching for the few bags she'd gotten from the store, Charlotte walked up the stairs and inside the house. Her cheeks flushed with color and a smile started to spread across her cheeks when she saw Graham. But it wasn't just him. Quickly putting the groceries down, Charlotte walked over to her husband and daughter with a laugh. "Getting in a morning workout?"

Graham was in the push-up position dressed in his operational blue uniform. The little girl next to him was in a white onesie splayed out on her tummy. Looking up, the green eyed Coastie nodded, "She's beating me."

Charlotte laughed and sat down on the couch. "What are you doing, Hattie? Are you doing push-ups with Daddy?"

The three month old had just recently figured out how to press her forearms into the ground and raise her body up. It wasn't a push-up by any means but it sure looked cute. If sleep deprivation meant Charlotte would witness moments like this, she would take circles under her eyes without thinking about it.

Graham checked his watched and started to get off the floor to stand up, "She's getting strong." They both looked at their daughter and Graham nodded, "She'll probably be able to sit and hold her head up by herself when I get back."

Feeling a sharp pain run through her chest, Charlotte gave Graham a melancholy smile. He was leaving for a Diligence patrol tomorrow morning and would be gone three weeks. Hattie could very well be sitting up on her own by them. "Maybe."

They both watched their little rolly-polly roll from her belly over to her back. Graham laughed and bent down to pick up the little girl, "Come here, minnow." Carefully resting Hattie against his chest, Graham kissed her head and walked closer to Charlotte. "I'll be back later."

Nodding, Charlotte got on her tiptoes to kiss him and smiled, "Be careful." He probably wouldn't have a dangerous rescue mission today but she couldn't help but say it.

With his green eyes fixed on her brown ones, Graham nodded, "I will." He handed Hattie over to Charlotte and smoothed out his shirt and the top of his pants.

"Oh...ha." With Hattie in her arms, Charlotte reached up to rub on a wet spot near his shoulder, "Sorry."

Looking down at the small drool spot, Graham shrugged, "Nah, it's okay. I kinda like it." He gave Charlotte a sweet smile and walked passed her to the door. "I'll be around the boat today. If you come downtown you can swing by."

Charlotte nodded and pressed her nose close to Hattie, "Say see you later, Lieutenant."

Smiling, Graham laughed at Charlotte and their little girl, "Bye."

Graham headed off to work leaving his two girls at home. They wouldn't be alone for long though. A certain raspy voiced baby lover would always find a reason to see the newest Tree Hill newborn.

Hattie was taking her morning nap when Charlotte heard a door shut in the drive way. She was in the middle of reading an email her mom had sent her. Apparently her uncle Lucas was working on a new book and this time it wasn't about Peyton. Shutting her computer, Charlotte met Brooke at the door and welcomed her aunt in with a hug.

"Hi." Brooke wrapped her arms around Charlotte and let out a soft laugh noticing how quickly Charlotte' had gotten down to her pre-pregnancy weight, "I'm jealous. It took me almost a full year to get all my weight off. Those last ten pounds were awful."

Charlotte smiled and looked toward the stairs, "Graham and I get a pretty good workout on those things." Their house had been ideal for a big family. Three bedrooms upstairs but the master was downstairs, and that meant the couple had been tramping up and down the stairs to the nursery for the last three months constantly. They'd gotten a bassinet for the bedroom but even with that upstairs, downstairs routine had become a staple. Charlotte's couldn't complain too much. Her baby weight had disappeared before she even thought about starting a diet.

Noticing the bag in her aunt's hand, Charlotte furrowed her brow as the two women walked toward into the living room. "Are those more clothes?"

Looking at Charlotte as if that was an asinine question, Brooke raised her brow, "Well of course they are."

"You're spoiling us."

Brooke sat down with a shrug because she knew that was true, "It's my professional obligation." She'd said it so matter-of-factly that it made Charlotte laugh. Brooke was mostly serious though."Baby Brooke has to have new apparel for each design quarter. You just _happened_ to have a baby _exactly_ when I happened to have _extra_ samples."

Charlotte could help but laugh. So Jamie just happened to have Bennet and Claire at the most opportune times, too? Smiling, the young Mrs. McFarland knew that Brooke was simply making clothes for her family because she wanted to and she loved doing it. "Can I get you something to drink?"

Politely declining, Brooke shook her head and reached for the Clothes Over Bros bag. "Some of this stuff she'll have to grow into..." She started to pull out the first piece, "If it fits, this might work for when Graham comes home."

Seeing the cute Coast Guard themed onesie, Charlotte smiled. It had the Coast Guard diving symbol on the chest and in soft green it read:_ Finders Keepers_. "This is really cute."

"I'm glad you like it."

"It's perfect." Charlotte studied the sea foam green colors, "I'm sure it will fit."

Brooke pulled out a few cute onesies with similar designs in different colors, "Is Graham all packed and ready to go?"

Charlotte nodded, "He packed his duffel last night after dinner." Charlotte fiddled her fingers together and sighed, "I don't really want him to go. I mean I know he has to, but..." Turning to face her dark eyed aunt, Charlotte shrugged with an embarrassed laugh, "Isn't that selfish?"

With a reassuring smile, Brooke put her hand on Charlotte's, "Absolutely not. I was the same way when Julian went away on a movie location when Davis was young. I never wanted him to go."

"Mom was saying that the first time Dad left for a road trip when one of us was a baby was the hardest but that is gets better after time." The new mom glanced at one of the pictures of herself and Graham at one of the annual Coast Guard banquets they had to go to and the uniform reminded her that it was part of the job. "And he only has to do this twice, three times a year at most. Dad was playing basketball five, six months of the year. It's not really the same but..."

"Charlotte, it is perfectly fine to want your husband to stay home. I did. We all did." Brooke nodded knowing that Peyton felt the same way about Lucas' book tours, Haley, Nathan's away games, and Brooke herself always tried to get Julian to take movies that shot in North Carolina. "Did your mom tell you about daddy-withdrawl too?" The older woman laughed looking at her niece.

"Mmm-ugh, what's that?"

"It's what all the men want women to overlook. You know how when we get a babysitter for the first time or spend the night away from our kids for a night or two, as moms we get a little bit of..."

"Anxiety." Charlotte laughed finishing Brooke's sentence because she'd gone through that back in May.

"Right, well our guys go through it too. You just wait and see." Brooke started to smile, "I know Julian can be a little...sensitive, but they all get it. I bet you when you were little and your dad got home from a road trip he went straight to your and Jamie's rooms first."

Remembering that her mom had told her that very thing, Charlotte smiled, "Graham's not gonna want to leave, is he?"

Brooke shook her head with a smile and then both women turned toward the baby monitor when they heard Hattie start to cry.

"I'll be right back." Charlotte got up to get her little one and returned downstairs to continue her visit with Brooke.

After Brooke cooed and oohed over the baby for another half hour it went back to being just the two of them. Charlotte and Hattie made their way to the kitchen and after lunch they started to make a dump cake for Graham's farewell dinner. Hattie was more or less a bystander in her rocking swing but Charlotte enjoyed the company and baby gurgle conversations nonetheless.

Charlotte was putting the dishes in the dishwasher when she heard the front door open and heard heavy footsteps that belonged to her husband.

Without a hesitation, Graham picked up Hattie and walked over to Charlotte to kiss her hello, "Smells good in here."

"You're home early."

Blowing funny noises on Hattie's cheek, he nodded, "Captain Turner told us to head home, get a good nights sleep."

Pushing the button to start the dishwasher, Charlotte leaned on the counter and looked to the oven, "Hattie and I were making a dump cake."

Graham raised his brow and spoke with a sweet voice to his daughter, "A dump cake? How'd you know that was my favorite?" He gave Hattie a goofy grin and then placed his hat on top of her head.

"Hold that pose. Don't move." Noticing how cute they were, Charlotte hurried to get the closet camera near to capture Hattie in Graham's blue USCG ball cap. It wasn't his fancy one but it didn't matter. It was precious. When Charlotte ran back into the kitchen she got Graham to maneuver the hat a little so she could get Hattie's face, and then she snapped the photo.

"You get it?"

Checking the picture on the screen Charlotte held it out, "Yeah, look."

Studying the camera and the picture on the screen, Graham looked to the baby in his arms. "You take a pretty good picture, Hattie McFarland."

Charlotte got the camera back from Graham and put it on the counter, "She does."

Graham started to laugh and shook his head, "I had the worst fake smile when I was little. My nostrils would flare but I didn't show my teeth. It was pretty bad."

Laughing, Charlotte nodded, "I remember seeing pictures in the photo albums at your parents. It _was_ bad."

"But not you, huh?" Graham looked at Hattie and shook his head.

"She can't really smile on command yet, but let's hope not." Charlotte smirked at her husband and pulled out the dish of marinating pork chops. "Here, you wanna trade?"

After Charlotte put the dish on the counter she took Hattie and knew that it was close to feeding time so she walked toward the nursery while Graham handled dinner. He would wait a while before he put anything on the grill but they'd probably eat relatively early.

And they did. The sun was still about an hour away from setting in the warm July sky when they sat down to eat. They'd had nice conversation which was interrupted a few times but they'd grown accustomed to it. Now they'd talk with pauses thrown in there just in case Hattie would need tending to.

Graham cleaned up the kitchen for Charlotte while she took Hattie into the bedroom. When he walked into their room, Graham changed into something he could sleep in and laid on the bed. "How long till she starts crawling?"

"I don't know. Some say it's between six and ten months old." Charlotte looked at the girl in her arms and lightly stroked Hattie's arm with her finger.

Leaning back into the pillows, Graham laughed, "I can see it now; her chasing Mack around the house, probably zooming around like a little race car." He started to laugh harder, "Chasing _Sawyer_ around when she comes over."

Charlotte laughed out loud and nodded, "Yeah, probably." Sawyer got along with Hattie just fine. More than fine, but picturing her cousin being chased by a seven or eight month old version of Hattie was just too funny.

While her mom and dad laughed, Hattie's little lids started to slowly open and close and sleep was on the cusp.

"She's about to fall asleep." Charlotte knew that the bassinet up against the wall was an option but since it was Graham's last night home for a while Charlotte knew they might want their bedroom for themselves.

"You want me to take her up?"

Charlotte started to get off the bed, "I got it." Making her way up the stairs, Charlotte watched as Hattie's brown eyes closed and the twenty seven year old started to hum a soft melody. It was a song that Sawyer had introduced Charlotte to due to the blonde's undying love for Mr. Costello. But it wasn't just because Sawyer liked it. The singer's storytelling voice made Charlotte think of Graham. There was something in the words and something in the story that had her hooked. And while Charlotte wasn't a singer like her mom, she could carry a tune, "...he held all the stars in the palm of his hand. And they ran through his fingers like grains of sand, and one little star fell alone..."

Graham could hear Charlotte on the baby monitor and found himself smiling.

Hattie squirmed one last time in her mother's arms and then settled in a deep sleep matched with deep baby breaths. After a few more minutes, Charlotte put Hattie in her crib and quietly walked out of the nursery. When she got downstairs she went into the bathroom to wash her face and brush her teeth.

Graham had one arm behind his head as he watched Charlotte walked back to the bed and when she climbed next to him he reached out towards her hair line. His finger swiped away the white face wash residue, "Missed a spot."

She laughed and used the back of her palm to wipe her temple, "I always do that."

Graham was studying Charlotte's face, her eyes; thinking Hattie was lucky to have such a beautiful mom, and he shook his head, "Maybe I can call in sick tomorrow?"

Shaking her head, the newly turned twenty seven year old laid down against his chest, "You can't do that."

"Maybe I could. I can stay home with you and the baby..."

"Graham..." Charlotte looked up to her husband with a sweet smile, "You have to go." She could tell him she wanted him to stay but it wouldn't do either of them any good. This was something that was going to happen at some point. Twenty two days away from home was going to be rough but they'd get through it.

"I know how you felt now." He laughed and turned his head towards her, "When we had to go to Keith's wedding. I know how you felt."

Charlotte took a deep breath because that evening she'd gone through an entire tube of mascara.

_They were supposed to leave in about ten minutes. Charlotte nervously checked her watch and then looked at her reflection. Her dress was beautiful but she still felt fat. She'd only given birth four weeks ago and her tummy was a little more plump than she'd wished. Then there was the heavy heart she was feeling about leaving the baby with a sitter. It would have been okay if she could get her mom or Sawyer; any family member to watch Hattie, but her whole Tree Hill family were going to the same event. Her cousin Keith was getting married._

_As Charlotte thought about her newborn in the care of a stranger it made her heart beat fast. Hannah wasn't really a stranger though. She was a good friend from work but she wasn't family. It was too much to ask Anne and Mitch to come down for the night, so she and Graham had settled on her Tree Hill High colleague. Now Charlotte was having second thoughts. Second thoughts that were turning into big salty tears. _

"_Charlotte, you about ready?" Graham knocked on the door and looked at the small child in his arms wondering if her mom was finished getting dressed._

_Opening the door, Charlotte's brow furrowed, "No. Graham's I can't do this."_

_Instantly shaking his head, the Coastie watched his wife pass him with a handful of Kleenex. "What's wrong?"_

_Charlotte sat on the bed and and dabbed her eyes, "What's wrong?" She looked to Graham and her heart broke when she saw their tiny little girl in his arms. Hattie seemed so comfortable. "I don't want to leave her here...with...with..." Charlotte's emotional state had become intense._

"_We're not leaving her. We're going to a wedding. Keith's wedding."_

_Shrugging, Charlotte wiped her eyes again, "He'll understand, and he probably won't even notice we're gone."_

_Graham sat down on the bed next to his wife, "Hannah is going to be fine. Hattie is going to be fine." He used his free hand to pull Charlotte's wrist to his mouth, "Everything's gonna be okay."_

_Biting her lip from crying even harder, Graham was making her more emotional because he was being so sweet. "I don't want to go."_

"_We'll be back before you know it." The green eyed man from the Outer Banks wasn't really sure what else to say._

_Taking a few deep breaths, Charlotte knew Graham was right. It really wouldn't be that long. They were only going downtown and then to the reception at the old train station. They didn't have to go far and it wouldn't be an all night extravaganza. Leaning into her husband, Charlotte laughed embarrassed, "Now I have to go fix my face."_

_Graham turned to her and shook his head, "You look beautiful."_

_Laughing, Charlotte got up to go back to the bathroom and knew he was just saying that. "Hannah will be here any minute."_

"_I'll be in the living room." Graham left the bedroom and sat down for a few minutes. Hannah pulled up to house and Graham let her in with a cautious smile. "Hey."_

"_Hi." Hannah smiled at the baby and then could see the concern in the Coastie's brow._

"_I'm not sure if we're even gonna get to the wedding; get out of the house for that matter."_

_Hannah didn't have kids yet but figured out what might be keeping Charlotte and Graham inside._

_Walking from the bedroom, Charlotte had a smile on and said hello to Hannah. "Hey, thanks for doing this." She pulled out a little notebook she'd scribbled out some notes on and handed it to her friend, "This has everything you'll need to know and you've got our cell phone numbers."_

_Hannah looked at the baby and nodded, "We'll be just fine. You two enjoy the wedding."_

_Charlotte took Hattie from Graham and quickly had a moment with her before she handed her over to Hannah. She couldn't let it linger though, Charlotte was starting to feel the tears again. "Bye, baby." She quickly passed Hattie over and headed for the door._

"_Thanks again." Graham thanked Hannah, told Hattie goodbye, and followed Charlotte to the car. His wife was in the passenger seat with her hands over her face. She'd gotten upset again._

"_Ugh, just go. Just go."_

_He didn't want to laugh, but she was overly emotional about this. "Charlotte, we're gonna have a good time. Hattie's gonna be fine."_

"_Why is this so hard?" Charlotte felt the car pull out of the driveway and turned to her husband._

_Looking at her, he smiled, "Cause you're her mom."_

_Charlotte took the car ride to the church to gather herself and re-applied any make-up._

"_Ready?" Graham pulled into a space and looked at Charlotte._

_Glancing across the console, she nodded and they got out of the car. Graham wrapped his arm around her side as they walked to the church and he kissed the top of her head just because._

_Sawyer was standing in front of the church and smiled when she saw her friends approach. "Little shit is getting married before me. Can you believe it?" Her tone was hilariously sarcastic because it was just the way Sawyer and Keith were and it made Charlotte laugh._

_Graham excused himself to get seats and the younger brunette took a deep breath answering Sawyer's question, "I can't say I'm all that surprised."_

_Sawyer rolled her eyes with a laugh because she wasn't either. She was pretty sure she wasn't the marrying kind. Her boyfriend, who she was waiting on, was so far so good. She'd thought her views had changed on marriage once, but they'd returned back to normal. Now maybe they would change again; but she couldn't see herself getting married in a church with hundred dollar flower arrangements, and give-you-blister-shoes. "So how's my favorite...uh...second cousin?" That sounded weird so she shook her head, "Let's just stick with niece."_

_With just Sawyer's question, Charlotte felt her throat go dry._

"_Whoa, hey, I didn't mean to strike a chord, sorry."_

"_No...it's me. I just..." Charlotte laughed and used her fingers to catch any stray tears, "Don't judge me. This is hard. If you have kids you'll understand."_

"_Bah!" Sawyer laughed out loud and had to cover her mouth because other wedding goers turned to look at the outburst. Lowering her voice, Sawyer shook her head, "That would be a probably not. Besides...you and Graham are gonna have enough so we can just share." Charlotte knew that at least part of what Sawyer said would be true. The blonde spotted her boyfriend and headed for his black car, "I'll catch ya inside. Save us a seat."_

_While Sawyer met up with her boyfriend, Charlotte made her way inside and sat next to a handsome green eyed Coastie._

"_How are you doing?"_

_It still wasn't easy but Charlotte leaned into him and took a deep breath. She could smell his cologne. He never really but for suit and tie, or his formal uniform occasions but it smelled really nice. Looking up to him, Charlotte nodded, "Better."_

"But in my defense it was the first time we left her with someone other than a family member." Charlotte was back in a present sense of mind and shrugged, "And I had new mom phobia."

"New mom phobia? You just made that up, didn't you?"

Smirking, Charlotte nodded, "Yeah, but it sounded legitimate, didn't it?" She laughed at herself and watched Graham laugh with her.

Putting both of his hands behind his head, he nodded, "So I've got...new dad phobia?"

Trying to remember what Brooke had called it, Charlotte shook her head, "Daddy-withdrawal."

"Mmm, that sounds serious." He grinned because wasn't sure if she'd made that up.

"It's real. It is." Charlotte folded her arms so the were resting on his chest, "It's why you don't want to leave."

"I thought that's what kids got when they missed their dads."

"It goes both ways."

Moving his hands, Graham rested them on her back, "And what if I miss _you_?"

Feeling her cheeks turn pink, she buried her face in his chest and looked up to meet his gaze. "We'll have to think of something."

Graham nodded and moved to kiss her, pulling Charlotte up closer to him which caused her to laugh. She kinked her eyebrow and bit her lip, her eyes full of lust and desire, "How long do you think we have?"

He shook his head as he moved to kiss her again, "Long enough."

Rolling her her back, Charlotte felt Graham's lips move from her mouth to her neck. His hands roamed the sides of her stomach and dipped under the hem of her top. They knew their minutes were fading fast and Charlotte pulled away for a second. "We're just gonna get interrupted."

"Maybe not." Probably so, but Graham didn't see the point in not trying. He pulled his shirt over his head and kissed her again before that interruption came just as they'd expected.

But it wasn't Hattie, it was Mack. He'd been sleeping at the bottom of the stairs and they heard him bark as he ran towards the back door. His voice carried, and as if on cue, Hattie started crying.

Graham laid back on the bed and took a deep breath. It was probably a damn raccoon. "I'll get him."

Charlotte nodded with a laugh, "I'll get her."

The duo were gonna have to get used to this. This is what they'd signed up for. And it was only going to get more interesting as time went on.

**OTHOTH**

**So we got to see a little bit of Charlotte and Graham as parents. You'll see a lot more of that as the story continues. I'll probably do at two more chapters featuring Hattie as a baby/toddler and then jump more time. If there is anything specific you guys want to see be sure and add it to a review. Her first steps, teething, first word (and add what you'd want that to be), etc. **

**My reviewers are still the best on this site. Thank you so much for all the support and (hopefully) sticking around through my writing hiatus. It's gonna get better. Next Friday is my final exam for my Modern British History summer school class which will free up SOOO much time for July and August to write a lot!**

**Joan: I'm so glad you like Hattie's name. Graham probably will tell their great-grandchildren stories but I doubt we'll see that before the story ends. I'll probably end it when CG are in their late 30s and then have an epilogue. Same with the other spin-offs.**

**J: Thanks for the review. I hope you like what's planned for the family.**

**2old4oth: That's pretty good that you predicted the baby's name because this one was probably the hardest of them all...well...no, I won't go into the other's just yet...this one was probably the hardest to figure out since it wasn't explicitly stated in the story. I'm glad you liked the protective Graham part and the Charlotte and Sawyer spooning part. That was funny to write.**

**Laura: The Man in the Moon story will be more important as the story goes on...as will that song Charlotte hums but I'll save details for a later date. Yeah, Hattie may take some time to grow on you. I knew that I wouldn't have 100% satisfaction with the name but it's hard to get that. I appreciate your honesty, though. Hopefully it will grow on you eventually, though.**

**Bailey: Yes, I did name the baby Hattie because of Cape Hatteras. I'm glad you thought that was creative. I appreciate the review!**

**Tp404: Thanks for the well wishes back when I was moving into my new place. It did go well until school swallowed me up and then I got kidney stones, lol. I've been dealing with one thing after another it seems. Hopefully I'm back on track!**

**Please Review!**


	21. Black and Blue

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 21: Black and Blue**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to OTH. **

**A/N: I know it's been another long wait, ugh, I know. Y'all, Wilmington was an ABSOLUTE BLAST, and since it was so epic I hardly had time to even open my computer, then I came back to a 3 day practicum at a local high school- talk about exhausting, so sorry about the wait. But I can't be too sorry cause I really did need that trip to Wilmy. The OTH cast is amazing. But back to the story, this one dives a little into Graham's job as a Coastie. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Shopping with a five month old was never ideal. The sudden crying spells, the potential diaper disasters; there were countless risks whenever anyone took a baby anywhere in public, but Charlotte was taking that risk. And to be quite honest she probably had to worry more about the loud mouthed twenty eight year old blonde who was accompanying her rather than her five month old daughter.

"So how many of these?" Sawyer was just ahead of Charlotte in the aisle of the store and picked up a package of mini quiches.

Charlotte eyed the package and tried to quickly do the math in her head. They were having about fifty close friends and family over this weekend after Hattie's christening, and the two women were shopping for the reception. Normally Charlotte would enjoy actually cooking and preparing for a reception like this, but with a baby everything became about one million times harder. So opting to go store-bought, Charlotte and Sawyer had picked up almost everything they'd need but there were still a few things the girls had to get. The all important quiche being one of them.

"Are you crunching numbers?" Sawyer could see it in Charlotte's eyes. She grabbed another box and walked over to the shopping cart. Leaning down to the baby, Sawyer started to laugh, "Your Mom is a full blown dork, Hattie."

"Sawyer..." Charlotte cut her eyes and then laughed, "Now I forgot how many I'd come up with."

Smirking with a squint she'd inherited from her father, Sawyer arched her brow and looked at the baby, "A _super_ dork." Sawyer winked at Hattie and laughed out loud as she walked further down the aisle.

Charlotte sighed as she followed her cousin and turned the conversation to the blonde. "So...you're coming alone to this thing?"

Turning around, Sawyer was halfway cutting her eyes, halfway sighing, "He's working."

"He's _working_ or that's just an excuse?" Charlotte knew that Sawyer and her boyfriend had been going out for a while, going strong for a while. But he still hadn't met most of the family, and it had already been seven months.

Sawyer walked on down the aisle with a eye roll, "He's _actually_ working, but I don't see what the rush is for him to meet everyone."

Giving Sawyer the benefit of the doubt, Charlotte pushed the cart close to her cousin, "There isn't a rush, I just think it's about time for you to introduce us to him, and him to us."

"You've _already_ met him, Charlotte. I don't see why you're making this a big deal."

Sighing, Charlotte knew that this conversation wasn't penetrating to the depths of Sawyer's mind as she'd hoped. "It was just a suggestion. If you like him we all will."

"It's not even that. Ugh..." Sawyer was sick of talking about her personal life. It was exactly that, _her_ personal life. She and her new guy were good together. The last thing she needed was to push the Scott family drama on him. She was sure that she was a lot to handle as it was. Quickly changing the subject, Sawyer looked at Hattie and then to Charlotte, "So how did Aunt Brooke take it when you told her she didn't need to make the christening dress?"

Charlotte let out a soft laugh, "Actually...better than I thought. I think she knows that Graham's mom had wanted to do the dress, and..." The rest of Charlotte's sentence had been cut short because her phone started to ring. When she looked at the number her heart started to fall from her chest because if that number was calling while Graham was at work it wasn't going to be good news.

Noticing Charlotte's demeanor change, Sawyer furrowed her brow, "What is it?"

She didn't even know what the base was calling about but Charlotte could feel the lump form in her throat as she looked at her five month old. He had to be okay. Whatever it was, Graham had to be okay. Charlotte had more or less trained herself to respond to this kind of situation but everything she'd told herself was starting to fade away. "It's the base." She quickly raised the phone to her ear and answered it. "Hello?"

"Charlotte, it's Megan." Her tone wasn't worrisome but there was some sort of urgency there. It was protocol for Charlotte to get some kind of phone call if any mission went awry and this seemed like one of those.

Not even knowing what was wrong, Charlotte could feel her eyes start to tear, "Is he okay?"

Nodding, Megan spoke in to the phone, "But he's in the hospital."

A magnitude of ailments and problems ran through the young mother's mind and she spoke back into the phone as quickly as she could. "I'll meet him there. Thanks."

Megan didn't get to finish the rest of the explanation but if Charlotte wanted to go it wasn't likely that anything was going to stop her.

"Is everything okay?" Sawyer could see that some of the color had drained from Charlotte's face.

Biting her lip, Charlotte looked to her baby and the blonde. She didn't really even know what was wrong but she knew she needed to get to him. "Can you do me a favor? Can you watch her while I go to the hospital?"

"Yeah, sure, of course."

"Here. Take my bag." Charlotte took her purse off her shoulder and held it out for Sawyer. "Let me have your keys."

"My _keys_?"

"That way you'll have the car seat."

"Oh...right." Sawyer wasn't so sure about what she was signing up for but Charlotte needed her car, and who was she to say no? "Give it some gas if it doesn't start up right away."

"And third gear sticks sometimes. I know." Smiling a sweet and thankful smile, Charlotte nodded, "I'll be careful with your _baby_." She let out a smile and then glanced at Hattie, "Be careful with _mine_."

"I will."

Kissing the five month old's head, Charlotte walked away to the parking lot.

Sawyer found herself alone in a store with a precious doe-eyed baby staring at her. She swallowed hard and then shrugged, "I guess it's just you and me, kid?"

While Sawyer was getting her bearings with the baby, Charlotte tore out of the parking lot headed to the hospital. She had to make sure her husband was okay. She knew it wasn't anything too serious because Megan sounded pretty calm when she called, but even knowing that whatever had happened put him in the hospital made Charlotte's skin crawl. If he didn't love what he did so much she'd _love_ for him to do something else.

When Charlotte walked through the doors of the emergency room, she went straight for the nurses' station. "My husband was brought here. McFarland. Graham McFarland." Her voice was breathy and she was nervously antsy.

The nurse looked at the semi-frazzled woman and felt bad for her. "Let me check." Scanning the room numbers and names, she found what Charlotte was looking for. "He was taken upstairs for a consult. Fourth floor. You'll know where to go."

Charlotte's mind starting racing as she tried to determine what in the world Graham could be getting a consult for. "Thank you." She headed straight for the elevator and waited for what felt like an eternity until the doors opened. The ride was short upstairs and when she walked through the hallway she couldn't help but notice she was in the plastic and reconstructive surgery unit.

"Miss, can I help you?" A tall male nurse walked toward Charlotte and could tell she was looking for something in particular.

"My husband was brought here. Graham McFarland."

"Coast Guard?" He watched Charlotte nod and led her down the hallway. "He's in here.'

Holding her breath as she walked into the small room, the first thing she saw was Trevor sitting next to the bed. He stood up as soon as he saw Charlotte and took of his cap. "Hey, Charlotte."

Graham was laid up on a bed and she could see the white bandaged that nearly encompassed his head. The right side wasn't covered with the gauze and she could see one green eye. The sight of him as a mangled mess made her heart sink and Charlotte walked over to the bed. "Hi."

"Hey." Graham reached up to touch her arm as she sat down next to him.

"Are you okay?" Getting a good look, Charlotte could see that whatever had happened, dealt with his face. She felt a single tear slide down her cheek and it was one of those things she couldn't stop. It wasn't necessarily a sad or happy tear. A tear of relief, maybe? She wasn't entirely sure.

"It looks worse than it is." Graham raised his hand to his bruised face and knew that he looked like a monster right now. He had a broken cheek bone, busted blood vessel in his eye, and the left side of his face was colored with various shades of blue, green, and purple.

Trevor crossed his arms and smirked, "You should see the other guy."

Charlotte's eyes got wide, "You got in a fight?"

Graham shook his head and started to think about how everything had played out. A simple day and a simple mission had turned violent in mere seconds.

_The chopper blades overpowered most of the noises coming from inside the cabin but Graham had always loved that sound. It was one of his favorites. The water was reflecting the early afternoon sun on the waves of the Atlantic and Graham got lost in the scenery. He was a lucky guy. Not only did he get to do something he absolutely loved but he had two people in his life that made everything worth living for. Taped to the side of the chopper was a picture of Charlotte and Hattie. Next to pictures of Captain Billings' family, Trevor's fiancee, and the rest of the crew's loved ones, the two brown eyed McFarland girls were the reason his heart kept beating._

"_We're coming up on the vessel. Overturned sailboat. Three in the water. No injuries."_

_Graham heard Captain Billings in his helmet and knew that it was time to get ready. Reaching for his mask and snorkel, Graham took off his helmet and pulled on his rescue gear. _

"_Mac, we're dropping you first."_

_Graham saw Jack, the co-pilot, signal towards him and then Trevor pulled open the door._

"_I'm coming in after you, man. Carter's fishing the line." _

_Graham nodded and when he looked down to the open sea, the overturned sailboat caught his eye. It wasn't a big one, a little boat that was good for a day's sailing. He spotted the three passengers and was happy that they were all wearing their life jackets. The weather was good but the wind was high. Seven foot waves rolled across the surface but it wasn't anything the men in orange couldn't handle._

"_When you're ready." Captain Billings steadied the chopper at the appropriate level and nodded towards his best swimmer._

_He didn't even think. He didn't take a moment to pause, Graham jumped out of the helicopter just as soon as Billings had said 'ready'. His feet hit water first and Graham found himself immersed in the ocean. It was moments like this when he wondered if he hadn't been meant to be a fish. Surrounded by an endless ocean, Graham swam toward the sun and breathed in the salty air when he hit the surface. Stroke after stroke, he made his way to the family of three and reached the young teenage girl first._

"_My name's Graham. I'm a rescue swimmer with the U.S. Coast Guard. What's your name?"_

"_Lexie."_

"_Lexie, are you okay?" The fourteen year old nodded and looked to her parents. They were floating just a few feet away but Graham could tell she was scared. "I'm gonna get you outta here, alright. You're gonna be okay."_

"_Okay." The girl was holding her life jacket so tightly that her knuckles were turning white._

"_Here we go, alright? I'm gonna help you over to the basket."_

"_Honey, we'll be right behind you." Lexie's mom called out to her daughter as Graham swam her over. _

_Trevor made sure the parents were alright while Graham signaled up to Carter to take up the girl. Once Graham swam towards the parents Trevor took the mom over to the basket._

"_Sir, we're gonna get you outta here after your wife gets in the cabin."_

_The man's face had lost all the color and he looked back to his sinking sailboat. The weather was beautiful, the day had been going perfectly fine and now things had taken a change for the worse, and it was as if he hadn't heard a single word Graham had said. "I didn't mean...it just tipped...I don't know what..."_

_Graham knew that a panicked victim could fall into shock and that was the last thing either of them needed. "The winds were high today, but everyone's gonna be okay."_

_Tugging on his life jacket, the man started pulling it away from him. "Ugh, I can't breathe. I can't breathe!"_

"_Sir, we're gonna get you outta here in just a minute." Graham knew that his victim was about to loose any sense of reality as the shock of the accident washed over him like the waves did._

_The man couldn't stand the orange floatation device. He felt like it was choking him instead of saving him. He found the clasp and pulled it over his head freeing himself of the thing. His legs started flailing and he felt like he was drowning so he went to Graham knowing he would keep him afloat. Instead of being calm about it, however, the guy grabbed a hold of the Coastie pushing him under the water._

_It happened so fast that Graham didn't realize the man had him under until he could taste the salty water seeping through his lips. He fought to break free but in this circumstance, people did just about anything to keep themselves above water. The man was persistent and a was slowly pushing Graham down farther. Graham luckily got away and broke to the surface in time to catch one quick breath before being pushed down again. _

_Trevor was making sure the mom was secure in the basket when he turned around after hearing a commotion. "Oh shit!" He gave Carter a thumbs up and pulled an orange buoy off the basket before it lifted out of the water. While the mother went up, Trevor tried to get to his buddy as fast as he could because he knew that the man might drown Graham._

_Fighting to breathe, Graham tried to swim to the surface but it was like he was caught in a net, caught in an imaginary net that had him trapped. This guy was keeping him from the light of day and all he saw, all that was around him, was the deep dark ocean. An image of Charlotte flashed through his brain and then one of Hattie. As he slipped away into the depths of the sea Graham saw images of everyone he loved run through his mind._

_But it wasn't happening like this. He wasn't going to let this happen. Pushing away from the guy with as much strength as he had, Graham broke the surface and got in a cough of a breath. Back pedaling away from the frenzied man, Graham held his arms out, "Sir, calm down. You're making this hard for bo..." The man was out of it and incoherent about the consequences of his actions, because he grabbed for Graham again. Realizing the severity of the problem, Graham dove under the water and then came up behind the guy. He knew he shouldn't approach him from behind but he was running out of options because the man was going to drown them both. _

"_Help me! Somebody help me!" The man wasn't in any real danger, he was the threat. He just didn't know it._

_Graham didn't have time to think about what he did next, he simply did it. Securing the man from behind, Graham tried to calm him down, "Sir, I'm taking you to the basket. We're gonna get you..." He didn't get a chance to finish his sentence. It happened so quickly that he didn't know what hit him. Literally. Graham had no idea what made contact with his face but something did and it was hard. His body flew backwards and the dazed and confused Coastie quickly tasted blood on his tongue. One blink later and it had been his last. He was out for the count._

"_Use this!" Trevor had made it to father and gave him the orange buoy that had been connected to the basket. The man tightly grabbed a hold of it and when he was steady Trevor swam over to Graham. The water had turned a different color because of the massive amount of blood that was coming from Graham's face, and he was floating on his back with his legs beneath the water. Trevor pulled on his suit with a laugh. "What are you trying to do? Invite the sharks?" When there wasn't a response and Trevor grabbed Graham around the shoulders and pushed through the water towards the basket. This could be serious._

"_What the hell?" Carter looked down from the chopper and saw that Trevor was pulling an unconscious looking Graham toward safety. "Graham's hurt." He looked to his pilot and co-pilot with worried eyes._

_The young girl Graham has safely gotten in the cabin looked out to the water and furrowed her brow, "He's hurt?"_

"_Pull him up! Pull him up!" Trevor signaled to Carter when he got Graham in the basket. The father who had elbowed Graham in the face looked terrified in the water and he was realizing what he'd done. A man who was trying to save him was the one needing saving._

"_I didn't mean to...I was...I was..."_

_Trevor had half a mind to tell the guy to shut the hell up but right now he was trying to work on a victim who needed help. The man was perfectly fine floating with his buoy. Graham on the other hand was slumped in the basket with a bloody face and what looked to be a crushed cheek bone. It wasn't a busted lip or a bloody nose, this was something much more severe. "Graham, can you hear me? Talk to me, man."_

_Everything was white noise. When Graham was lifted out of the water, he didn't know where he was or what was going on. Everything was blurry and he could still taste blood. He wasn't conscious but he wasn't unconscious. It was a weird feeling that he couldn't explain and never wanted to feel again. He wasn't going to die, he knew that, but he knew something was wrong and his mind kept going back to the same two people._

"_Lets get him in. Come on Graham. Can you hear me? Carter pulled the basket inside and started to pull out his friend. "Graham, open your eyes!" Carter threw off his unnecessary equipment and leaned down to check for signs of breath ready to administer CPR._

Trevor folded his arms and leaned against the hospital room wall. "I was so close to smacking the guy." He narrowed his eyes and looked to his bruised friend.

Graham swallowed hard thinking about his quick memory and knew he didn't remember much after that. "He didn't mean to do it. His adrenaline took over." Graham didn't fault the guy. He wasn't exactly appreciative of the crushing elbow blow but he was thankful it was only that.

"And you're gonna be okay?" Charlotte looked at her husband and felt her stomach twist into knots thinking they'd been lucky.

"I'm fine. I'm fine." He tried to smile but his bandages and the pain didn't let him.

She didn't want to hurt him but Charlotte couldn't help but kiss him. She tried to find a place of his face where it wasn't hurt and let her lips linger. "I love you."

"I love you too."

Trevor took their sweet moment as a hint his time was done and walked over to his pal when Charlotte and Graham parted. "I'm gonna head outta here. Let me know if there's anything you need."

Holding out his hand, Graham looked at Trevor with an appreciation he could never put into words. "Thanks man."

The other Coastie nodded and smiled at the brown-eyed girl. "See ya, Charlotte."

He started to walk away but Charlotte stopped him. "Trevor...?" She took a few steps toward him and hugged the guy. "Thank you."

"You don't need to thank me, Charlotte."

Maybe she didn't but she sure felt like she should. Stepping away from his she bit her lip and shrugged, "I...thank you."

As Trevor walked away, Charlotte walked back over to Graham's bedside. He could see the worry that still lined her face and he shook his head. "I'm okay."

She sat down next to him and leaned against his side. "I know you are."

Her hair smelled like coconut and Graham breathed her in. He closed his eyes and ran his fingertips along her side. "Where's Hattie?"

"Sawyer has her."

"Sawyer?" Graham would have laughed out loud but it hurt too much.

Starting to smile, Charlotte nodded, "And I managed to pluck her car from her." Letting out a laugh, Charlotte sighed, "I should probably call her."

She probably should but she didn't want to. Neither of them wanted to move. They were perfectly content on how they were, and they'd stay like that until the doctor came in to describe Graham's injuries.

He was going to be fine. A broken cheek bone that would more than likely heal on its own. It wasn't going to be pretty for a while and it was going to hurt a lot but he was going to be fine. They were all going to be just fine. Charlotte could deal with the bruises and the bandages as long as she had him, but their little girl wasn't going to feel the same way.

**OTHOTH**

They'd spent four hours in the hospital and when Graham was discharged the twosome went straight home. Charlotte had called Sawyer letting her know that she'd she come pick up Hattie once Graham was settled.

Mack met them at the front door and it was as if he knew something had gone wrong because he was whining when Graham walked in. He licked on Graham's leg and tucked his tail between his legs.

"Hey boy. I'm okay. I'm okay." He patted the dog's side but his face started to pound when he bend down.

Charlotte looked at Mack a bit surprised and then looked at her husband. "How do you think he knows something happened?"

Shrugging, Graham looked down at their dog. "I don't know. It's probably one of those intuition things. You know how he can tell when it's about to storm, it's probably like that."

As they walked into their bedroom, Charlotte started to laugh. "Do you remember when he was a puppy and..."

"You called me hysterical."

"I wasn't hysterical."

"You were." He started to smile and as he got the bed and let out a grunt off sorts when the pain in his cheek elevated. "You absolutely were."

Charlotte shook her head because that wasn't how she remembered it.

_The rain was pouring from the sky in constant sheets that were flooding the front yard. Charlotte had just pulled in from a long day at work and sat in her car wondering when the best time would be to get out. The rain might let up shortly but then again it could always get worse. After about three minutes she knew nothing was changing and geared up to get wet. It was March and those early spring showers weren't letting up anytime soon._

_Glancing out of her window, Charlotte pulled her bag close to her and made sure everything was zipped and shut because this was going to be a soaking. "Here goes nothing." The twenty three year old bound out of the car with as much speed as a race car and hurried to the front door. Splashing through the mud and the muck, Charlotte got to the front door just as soon as a loud thunderclap __bounced off the clouds. The sound boomed through her chest and she could feel the vibration of the noise. If would have been nice if Sawyer had been home but she wasn't, so Charlotte fumbled with her keys until she found the right one._

_The house she shared with her cousin was dry and welcoming. When she set down her bag, Charlotte was waiting for the four month old adorableness that was Mack to come prancing up to her, but the house was silent. "Mack? Here, boy." Her keys clanked against the table when she set them down and she looked around the living room for the golden retriever puppy._

_A super-sonic boom rattled the small home and Charlotte looked outside with cautious eyes. This storm was getting kinda intense. It was certainly the loudest one they'd had all season._

_Charlotte walked into the kitchen and saw a note scribbled in handwriting only Sawyer could have left. "With Ben. Took Trout. Call ya tomorrow." It was short and to the point, exactly how Sawyer would have left it. _

_A bolt of lightening lit up the backyard and the color startled Charlotte. She furrowed her brow and looked around wondering where the puppy was. "Ma-aack? Where are you?" Charlotte was starting to get nervous about the missing dog. Their missing dog. He wasn't just hers. He was Charlotte and Graham's, a birthday present she'd gotten him when he turned twenty seven_

_Two loud thunderclaps rang through the late evening sky and the rain started hammering the roof. Scouring the next few rooms, Charlotte searched for the dog and wondered where he could have gone. He was still little enough to fit in small spaces but when Charlotte got down on her hands and knees to check under her bed he wasn't there. Room after room, the young Scott girl tried to find the dog but she was unsuccessful._

"_Mack, come on. This isn't funny." Charlotte didn't want to overreact but their dog was missing. The loudest thunderclap yet roared above and it sent chills up her body. He had to be scared. That had to be it. Dogs sometimes hid when it stormed, right? Or did they run away? No, he couldn't have run away, right? Thoughts pummeled her mind and she ran through the house in a frantic search to find their pet. Ten minutes, twenty minutes, thirty minutes passed and she still couldn't find him._

_Charlotte went to her purse and fished out her cell phone. Sawyer probably wasn't going to know where Mack was but she could at least ask. Dialing her cousin's number Charlotte ended up disappointed when it went to voice mail. The next number she dialed was out of habit. She'd memorized his number and it felt natural to dial those numbers. She'd hadn't really meant to call Graham but when he answered his voice was comforting._

"_Hey, some storm, huh?" He was on his way home and watched his windshield wipers wash away the rain feverishly. _

"_I think our dog ran away."_

_Graham let out a laugh and shook his head, "What?"_

"_I can't find him. I think he got scared of the storm and ran away." There was emotion in her voice that wasn't usually there._

"_I'm sure he's just hiding. Did you check around the house?"_

"_Yes."_

_Graham knew she wasn't playing around with her one word answer. "He's gotta be somewhere, Charlotte. He wouldn't run away." Looking out his window he turned right at the intersection and spoke sweetly. "I'll be over there in a minute."_

"_Kay, bye." Charlotte hung up her phone and continued to look for their puppy. She hoped he hadn't run off. Not only was it getting dark but it was horrible outside. Like a protective mom, Charlotte just wanted him to be safe._

_It didn't take Graham long to get to the girls' house and he let himself in without knocking. His shirt had gotten damp from the rain and his shoes squeaked on the floor._

_Rounding the corner of the hallway, Charlotte saw him in front of the door and sighed. "Hi."_

"_Hey." Graham slipped off his wet shoes and walked over to her. "And your sure you've checked everywhere?"_

"_Positive. He's not in the house."_

_Furrowing his brow, Graham eyed the living room and knew Mack had to be there somewhere. "Mack, here boy!" Graham whistled and waited to see if he heard any commotion._

"_Uh, I hate that this is happening. This would happen to us, wouldn't it?" Charlotte got down on her hands and knees to check under the couch for the second time rambling to herself. "Sawyer would never have this happen to her."_

_Graham started to laugh but tried to hold it in. She turned around to him and cut her eyes. He shook his head and pulled her up from the floor. "We're gonna find him, Charlotte. We're just not looking in the right places."_

_Something about the way he'd said that sent a shiver down her spine. A good shiver. The kind that signaled the butterflies in her stomach to get ready to fly around._

"_Check Sawyer's room. I'll check yours."_

_Charlotte nodded and the boyfriend, girlfriend pair went off in search of their pup._

"_Anything?" Charlotte looked around Sawyer's messy room and raised her voice so Graham could hear her from across the hall._

"_Nah. I don't see him." Graham looked in Charlotte's closet but Mack wasn't hidden in there. Walking to the bathroom, he checked in there and even pulled back the shower curtain in case Mack jumped in the tub. He hadn't but it was worth a shot._

_Charlotte did not want to be the girl who lost his dog. It wouldn't have really even been her fault but she still felt responsible. Thunder shook the small house and Charlotte huffed as she checked under Sawyer's bed. "Mack, come on, where are you?" While she was on the floor the lights flickered and then everything went dark. "Graham?"_

_The house got quiet when it lost power and the green eyed Coastie started to make his way toward Charlotte. "You okay in here?"_

"_I'm fine. I'm fine." She started to get up and rolled her eyes at the situation. She saw Graham's silhouette come into Sawyer's room._

_He brushed against her and laughed when they tried to move in the same direction. "Where do you keep the flashlights?"_

_The darkness had a certain appeal to it and Charlotte bit her lip. She had a sudden urge to kiss him instead of telling him where to go. He felt it too and met her in the middle. While the storm raged on outside Charlotte and Graham were both feeling a storm inside their chests. What they had was something both of them were ready to weather._

_Charlotte pulled away and started to laugh as she put her hands on her chest. "Sawyer would totally __freak out if she knew we were in her room."_

_He laughed and kissed her again, "Good thing she's not here." Wrapping his hands around her waist, he pulled Charlotte close and kissed the corner of her mouth as a loud thunderclap boomed through the air._

_Knowing they would both be in BIG trouble if they actually went any further in Sawyer's room, Charlotte sighed and tilted her head toward the door. "The flashlights are in the laundry room."_

_Slowly moving away from his girlfriend, Graham made his way to the laundry room and could see a heaping pile of laundry in the corner of the little room. It wasn't surprising though. Laundry and Sawyer were not friends. In fact, they hated each other. Walking over to the shelf by the dryer, Graham rummaged through a bin of things in search of some flashlights. He moved his foot over and that heaping pile of laundry let out yelp. "Mack?" Graham got a flashlight and knelt down toward the clothes. The puppy's eyes reflected the light and the Coastie started pulling clothes off the golden retriever. "Have you been here this whole time boy?" Smiling, Graham laughed, "You had Charlotte pretty freaked out."_

_Mack walked hesitantly by Graham's side as they walked to the living room and Charlotte had managaged to find a few candles to light._

"_Look who I found."_

_Charlotte's brown eyes got big and she knelt down welcoming the dog in her arms. "Mack, where have you been? I was looking all over for you."_

"_Apparently he got under Sawyer's clothes in the laundry room."_

_Laughing, Charlotte rubbed the dogs head and stood back up. "Guess I seem pretty dumb now, huh? He was here the whole time."_

_Graham arched one of his brows, "Dumb?" He laughed at her and put his hands on her waist shaking his head. "You're not dumb, Charlotte."_

"_I would have failed a search and rescue class miserably."_

_Knowing that's exactly what he specialized in, Graham's kissed her. "That's why you have me."_

"_Mmm-huh" Her mouth buzzed against his and Charlotte was liking the sound in his voice. "You'll have to teach me a few things."_

Graham started to groan a little when he shifted in the bed and Charlotte was brought back from her memory. "Can I get you anything?"

Shutting his eyes, Graham leaned back in the pillows and shook his head. "I'll be alright."

Charlotte checked the clock and knew she needed to go get their little one back home. "I'm gonna go get Hattie. You're sure you don't need anything."

He didn't so he nodded once more and let the medication take hold. Hopefully he could sleep off most of the pain.

Quickly kissing him, Charlotte headed out the door and on her way to get their daughter. She had a little trouble starting Sawyer's car but after the third try it worked. When she pulled up to Sawyer's house she laughed out loud at all the cars parked by the curb. She let herself in to the hold home she used to share with her cousin and smiled at the four women in the living room. Pushing her sunglasses into her hair, Charlotte started to smirk. "Called in the special forces, huh?"

Sawyer looked at Charlotte and shrugged, "Well what _else_ was I supposed to do? You left me _alone_. With a _baby_. A five month old baby."

Haley was holding her newest granddaughter and looked at Charlotte concerned, "How's Graham?"

"He's gonna be fine. The guy he was trying to help was in shock or something and elbowed him in the cheek. It looks a lot worse that it actually is."

"But he's okay?" Brooke raised both eyebrows.

Charlotte nodded, "A little black and blue but..."

Peyton folded her hands together and sighed deeply, "We're all glad he's home now."

Sawyer nodded agreeing about what her mom said but pulled out a piece of paper from her purse, "And by the way you owe me."

Charlotte didn't think she'd have to pay Sawyer for watching Hattie but maybe she was. She took the piece of paper and read over the fine print. "Is this a speeding ticket?"

"A _speeding_ ticket? Oh no." Sawyer shook her head and laughed out loud, "Would you count going twenty in a forty five mile an hour zone, speeding?" Sawyer saw Charlotte shake her head and kinked her brow, "Well neither did the cop, apparently there is such as thing as going _too_ slow."

"Too slow?" Charlotte knew Sawyer didn't do anything slow.

"Yes. Dumb cop pulled me over because I was being cautious." Sawyer shrugged her shoulders. "I mean I had the _baby_ in the _car_. What do they expect me to do?"

Peyton started laughing and patted her daughter on the shoulder, "I never thought I'd see the day, kid."

Sawyer bugged her eyes, "Oh, don't hold your breath. This doesn't mean I've got a maternal side, but I mean come on. Those cars were flying by me on Oleander. _Flying_. I wanted to smack every single one of them."

Haley smiled because she used to yell at cars that drove by too fast on the street when the kids were younger.

Brooke walked close to the baby and then looked at Sawyer, "Admit it. Babies are infectious. You can't help but love them and you always want them to be safe."

Sawyer was kinda surprised that Brooke knew the word infectious, but she also knew that her aunt was right. "Well..."

Charlotte got Hattie from her mom and walked over to her cousin. "Thanks for keeping her."

Shrugging, Sawyer answered Charlotte. "You would do the same thing for me if I married a Coastie and had a cute baby."

The four other adult women looked at each other and couldn't help but think about the same thing. A past that Sawyer had could have made her statement true if things hadn't gotten messed up.

"So now that we're on this topic. When will we get to mee..."

"Uh-ugh. Out." Sawyer didn't want to talk about it. She looked at Brooke ad shook her head. "Thank you all for the help but that's all for today." Sawyer smiled politely at the three older women and opened up her front door. This current relationship was seriously under wraps.

"Bye, Char. Tell Graham we're glad he's okay. I'll make him some of my chicken dumpling soup."

Charlotte nodded at her mom and said goodbye to the older generation of her family. She gathered up Hattie's diaper bag and switched keys with Sawyer.

When Sawyer had her Volkswagen keys in her and she took a deep breath looking at the baby. "And he's okay?"

"He's okay." Charlotte slung the diaper bag on her shoulder and nodded, "And thank you. Thank you so much for watching her."

"We had a good time." Sawyer looked at the mini Charlotte and smiled, "Didn't we?" Hattie yawned and Sawyer nodded, "See, that was a yes."

"I'll call you tomorrow." Charlotte thanked Sawyer one more time and headed home. They were nearly at the house and Charlotte looked through the rear view mirror. "I know someone who wants to see you. Are you ready to see Daddy?" Charlotte could tell that Hattie perked up when she heard his name and Charlotte pulled onto their street.

Graham thought he'd fall asleep when Charlotte left but he didn't. He shifted in bed because he knew that she'd bring the baby in and when he saw both of them he started to smile. It hurt but he didn't care. Those two girls, those two sets of brown eyes; they made things hurt a little less.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" Charlotte dropped the diaper bag on the floor and got on the bed next to her husband.

"Better now."

The new mom couldn't help but smile and held Hattie out to her dad. "Here's Daddy."

Graham took the baby and held her close to his chest. "Hey, minnow." Those big brown eyes that he loved so much started to tear and just as soon as Graham had Hattie she started to cry. Wail, actually.

Taken back by Hattie's reaction, Charlotte furrowed her brow and looked from the baby to Graham. She didn't think about it until now but Graham didn't look good. The entire left side of his face was covered in bandages and the skin that was visible wasn't colored like it should be. He had purply-green splotches that weren't supposed to be there.

"Is she scared of me?" Graham looked at Charlotte and the look in his eye made her heart break.

"I don't know."

Graham tried to soothe the baby but Hattie was scared of Graham. He didn't look like her dad. He looked like a horrifying stranger. He gave Hattie to Charlotte and when their daughter stopped crying in her arms he felt his heart sink. "It's me. She scared of me."

Charlotte didn't want that to be true. "Talk to her. Maybe that will help." She passed the baby back to Graham and nodded, "Tell her a story."

Trying to think of a story before she started crying again, Graham leaned back on the bed and took a deep breath. "Did I tell you, remember the one about the man in the moon, Hattie? I told that to you when you were in your Mom's belly. You wanna hear it again?" It was a little painful to talk but he could bare through it if it meant he got to tell Hattie a story.

This was a good story and Charlotte leaned back on the bed hoping Hattie would recognize Graham's sweet voice. His bruises weren't permanent but his voice was. There was nothing like hearing him talk.

"A sailor works on the moon. Did you know that?" Graham nodded, "There's an old story that sailors who die at sea work up there and control the stars to help the lost sailors find their way home. They're the ones who light up the sky." Graham held Hattie close to him and loved the way she fit in his arms. "One stormy day a sailor and his crew lost their ship off the coast of Cape Hatteras. When you get older I'll take you to the shipwreck museum up there. Uncle Crawford loves that place. But anyway, when the sailors started to sink they didn't go to the bottom, they landed on the moon..."

Charlotte had always liked this story. It had a sweet ending but looking at Graham holding their child got to her. She scooted off the bed and said that she was gonna work on dinner. Heading to the kitchen, Charlotte felt her eyes tear up because suddenly she realized that story hit a little too close to home. The moon was shining bright through the windowpane and the starry night looked like a tragedy in disguise. There were plenty of stars out that night and Charlotte had a chill run up her spine. She was thankful there wasn't one more up there tonight. That was a scenario she wasn't prepared to handle.

Graham was hers for now and for ever. If the tide took him away, if he never came back, it wouldn't only break her heart, but she'd be a lost soul adrift on the open sea until he found his way home.

Swallowing hard, Charlotte knew she couldn't let that happen.

The worst part was that it wasn't in her control. Fate wasn't something she could change.

**OTHOTH**

**There we go guys. We got some insight to Graham's job as a Coastie. This is kinda of the pre-cursor to a much bigger chapter that is on the horizon. I hope you liked it.**

**My reviewers are fantabulous. That's a new a word that should be added to the dictionary, by the way. Thank you so much for the constant support!**

**sara: Thank you so much for the feedback!**

**TP404: I'm glad the story was able to keep you busy while you couldn't sleep, and I'm happy you liked last chapter.**

**Joan: Yes, Hattie is going to be a daddy's girl, no doubt. Sawyer's BF still remains a mystery but that will be uncovered soon in her story.**

**Jo: It's great to know you've been following the story for a while. Hearing from readers who don't review often is always a pleasant surprise. Thank you for the idea about the first word, but I'm not gonna go the "Mama" or "Dada" route. I should get to her first word next chapter, though. And ha, I feel like I've written sexually frustrated parents SO much in LM that I'm sure it will end up in here at some point. It would be hard not to include it. I really apreciate the feedback!**

**C: I'm so glad to know you enjoyed the last few chapters, and I'm really thankful for the feedback!**

**Anon: Oh Sawyer and Ben. I guess it's obvious now that her current BF isn't Ben. It's depressing. You're right, it's hard to let go, too. Funny you should mention Graham telling Hattie stories because the one he tells her in this one will be really important later on.**

**Anu: So cool that the last update made your day!**

**BDavis: I'm thrilled that you iked the three of them together, and that you have been a fan since the beginning!**


	22. Who'll Stop the Rain

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 21: Who'll Stop the Rain**

**Disclaimer: Same ole, same ole. I have absolutely no affiliation with the show or anything produced from it. This is just for fun...and for my readers ;)**

**A/N: Well...if you live in the U.S., y'all are all probably familiar with Hurricane/Tropical Storm Irene by now. I hope those of you who were affected are okay. This weekend as I flipped through channel after channel of weather coverage, I couldn't help but think about what a hurricane chapter might be like for Charlotte and Sawyer's time frames. So that's what I'm doing. I'd had something else dramatic planned for this time frame but I think you all will like this. Or...that's the plan. There will be holes that Sawyer's story will fill later...but I couldn't give _everything_ away. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was folding things into a suitcase and stopped what she was doing when she thought she heard the baby monitor. Hattie had been down for her afternoon nap for about thirty minutes but the new mom wasn't sure how long the little girl would sleep. Sometimes it varied. Six month olds didn't always stay on their schedule. Naps could last thirty minutes or three hours.

The early October winds made the bushes outside brush against the bedroom window and Charlotte took a deep breath. Fall hadn't come knocking, it was something else. Something that could blow down trees, flood the streets, and leave hundreds of thousands, if not millions of people, without power.

Hurricane Lucile was a monster. She was gaining power and lowering pressure with each mile she crossed over the Atlantic and wasn't worried about anyone in her path. Headed for the North Carolina coast, this massive storm was a category four and didn't show signs of losing steam while it roared toward the mainland. This was no joke. Lucile had wind speeds that could topple the strongest of oaks, demolish any structure in its path, and the surge had the power to drown the very town that Charlotte and her entire family called home.

Hurricane Lucile was the reason Charlotte was reluctantly packing. Reluctant because she didn't want to go, and reluctant because she certainly didn't want to leave without her husband. Headed for a hotel in Raleigh further inland, Charlotte and Hattie were getting out of the path but Graham had to stay behind. As a Coastie, Graham was obligated to look after the city and any residents who found themselves in trouble. But that left Charlotte scared. Scared of a storm that could take the man she loved out to sea and never bring him back.

It was two days until the eye hit North Carolina with a force that could destroy the beaches and change the coast forever, but the twenty-seven year old didn't want to think about it. It made her stomach hurt and her head pound. She was never going to understand Mother Nature and her cruel intentions.

Charlotte didn't hear the front door open and when she heard someone walk into the bedroom she turned with a smile. "Hey."

Jamie walked into his sister's room and knew she was having a hard time with this planned evacuation thing. "You sure you don't wanna come to Savannah with us?"

It wasn't that she didn't want to, she could, she just didn't want to be that far away from Graham. What if something happened? She politely shook her head, "Thanks though."

He'd asked but knew she would decline. His in-laws would have been happy to have two more stay with them, but Charlotte was going to be lucky if she made it out of town as it was. Jamie couldn't imagine having to leave Liza in a storm like this but it was what had to happen for Charlotte. "What's Graham said about it?"

Charlotte shrugged and tossed a pair of socks in her suitcase. "We had a fight about it last night." Taking a deep breath, Charlotte could remember the way he'd looked at her when he'd told her he wanted she and Hattie to leave.

_Graham walked into the bedroom after getting Hattie to sleep and saw Charlotte with his blue USCG blinder in her lap. Her glasses were on and she was already in bed, but what she was reading wasn't sitting well with her. "They're not serious are they?"_

_He took a deep breath and got onto the bed. "About what?"_

_Charlotte tossed the binder in front of her and furrowed her brow, "About making you stay even if there is a mandatory resident evacuation." The governor of North Carolina hadn't put an evacuation for residents out yet, but it was only a matter of time._

_Graham knew that she wasn't going to be thrilled about the Coast Guard's contingency plan but it was protocol. The active men who were designated to bases that would be impacted by hurricanes had to stay. Like the National Guard and other groups that helped in the aftermath, Coasties were responsible for Tree Hill's people, too. He nodded but pulled out the good part of it all. "But while I'm here, they're gonna take care of you. They're gonna put all of the families up in a hotel."_

"_Without YOU." Charlotte didn't really see the good in this plan and pointed at the television screen. The Weather Channel had a picture from outer space of the gargantuan storm and she looked back to her husband with wide eyes. "I'm not leaving you here with that."_

"_Charlotte..." He shook his head and tried to explain how things would work. _

"_No, Graham. I'm staying. I don't care about some plan. I'm not leaving you here."_

_That was the last thing he wanted. "You're being irrational about this. Think about Hattie."_

"_That's exactly who I'm thinking about." Charlotte crossed her arms and cut her eyes. "She's six months old..."_

"_And you two are my biggest concerns! I don't have a choice in staying or leaving. I have to stay. But YOU don't. You can't."_

_Charlotte was putting her emotions before logic."Don't tell me what I can and cannot do, Graham."_

_He furrowed his brow, "This storm could flood the entire town. Don't you think you might wanna be in a city that's out of harms way? I know I do. I won't even be able to be with you when the storm hits if you stayed." It was true. He wasn't sending his wife and daughter on their way because he didn't want to brace the storm with them, he had to be at the base. Ready and on guard for anything they'd need him for. _

_That had only been in the back of her mind. The fact that he wouldn't be sitting in the house ridding out the winds with her was only a formality. She looked to him and Graham's green eyes made her heartbreak. "How am I supposed to leave without thinking about you?"_

_Graham didn't have an answer for her. "I'm gonna be fine."_

_The way he'd said it and the way he looked at her made Charlotte's eyes well. What if he wasn't? What if the water came up too fast? What happened then? She looked at Graham and simply shook her head. Charlotte threw the covers off her legs and walked into the bathroom._

_Graham heard the door lock and he leaned back into his pillows. He knew this was something they were going to have to deal with eventually, but he wished this hurricane had evaporated over the Bahamas. He knew she was scared. He was scared. But no matter the strength of the storm, he knew he was gonna be alright. Sliding out of bed, Graham walked to the bathroom door and gently knocked, "Charlotte..."_

"_I don't want to talk about this anymore, Graham."_

_He rested his head against the door and sighed. "Just hear me out, okay?"_

_Charlotte was leaning against the sink and looked at her reflection. There were tear stains on her cheeks from her recent cry and she sighed running her hands through her hair. She didn't want to talk about it, much less think about it._

_Graham put his palm on the door and sighed. "I love you, and I want to protect you. You and Hattie."_

_His words resonated in her ears and Charlotte opened the door. They stood just a few feet away from each other and she looked so sad. She bit her lip and shook her head, "But I can't protect you." Charlotte's eyes were full of tears and briskly walked by him hoping he didn't follow her out of the bedroom. She walked up the stairs and headed for the baby's room._

_Graham stood motionless and helpless in the bathroom doorway and didn't know what he could say to make things better. There wasn't anything he could say, and he knew it. He had to stay, brace for the worst of the storm while Charlotte couldn't do a thing about it._

_Up in Hattie's room, Charlotte was sitting in the rocking chair alone in the dark. Her brown eyed little girl was fast asleep in her crib and Charlotte watched her from her seat. She loved that baby more than she could articulate, more than she could show, and more than anyone would know. She also loved Graham that much, and it was killing her that he was having to stay in the middle of the year's worst storm. It wasn't fair._

_The moon and the stars were shining brightly through the window and Charlotte wasn't sure how long she'd been up there. She was starting to feel her eyes droop and she quietly walked out of Hattie's room down to her own. Graham was asleep on his side of the bed and she was thankful for it. She didn't want to have to talk about their differing opinions. _

_So there they slept. Side by side and breath for breath._

_Sometime during the middle of the night both Charlotte and Graham made their way to each other. His chin was close to her hair and her shampoo made his dreams smell like lavender. Charlotte could feel his protective body around her, but their peaceful nights sleep was hardly what the forecast called for over the course of the next few days. They'd just have to weather the storm and hope for the best._

Jamie put his hands in his pocket and looked to his little sister with a shrug. "You two will work it out."

The weather was going to make them work it out because Charlotte was going to have to make up her mind about staying or leaving, but as she looked at the suitcase she knew she already had. She tossed in one last pair of socks and started zipping up her luggage. "When do y'all leave?"

"In the morning." Jamie got up and laughed, "I'm supposed to be on a grocery run getting stuff for the car ride, but..." He looked at his watch and shook his head, "...I think everyone is gonna be out of everything by now." He moved a little towards the bedroom door and smirked at his sister.

"Yeah, probably." Charlotte smiled and then hugged Jamie before he went on his way. "Be safe."

"You too."

The brother and sister parted ways and the younger walked out to the living room and couldn't help but watch The Weather Channel. Couldn't this dumb storm go away? Couldn't it turn east and never hit the coast? It didn't seem like it as Charlotte watched the meteorologist poke and point at the large area that was going to be affected.

"Someone need a handyman around here?"

Charlotte turned to the front door and her mouth fell open. Dressed in his utility blues, Ben smiled at Charlotte and tossed the hammer he had up and down in his hand.

"Ben! Oh my gosh, what are you doing here?" She got up off the couch and went to hug him.

"Duty calls." He tilted his head towards the door.

"They brought you in from Texas?"

He nodded. "Sorta. Those of us who weren't in the eastern states were asked to volunteer if they could."

Charlotte looked at Ben with a sweet smile. Of course he'd be one to volunteer. "You're a good guy, Ben Trammell."

He grinned and shook his head. "Nah, just doing my part." He looked out of the window and nodded, "Which reminds me. Is Hattie napping? Graham sent me over to board up the windows. He's working on the chopper and wasn't gonna be able to get home to do it before it got dark."

Nodding, Charlotte smiled, "Yeah, so sit down, sit down. Tell me what's been going on with you."

Ben laughed and took a seat next to Charlotte. "Same old thing. Patrolling in Texas. Nothing new."

"There's gotta be something worth talking about down there."

He had some buddies in Houston and he enjoyed himself but it didn't compare to life on the eastern seaboard. He shrugged and looked to his friend with smile. "I'm actually up for re-assignment soon."

"Yeah? Do you want to come back here?"

Ben wasn't sure. "I don't know. I thinking about Maine."

That was pretty far north, and Charlotte's eyes got wide and she laughed. "Well I hope you like lobster, then."

Patting his stomach, Ben nodded, "I like everything. You know that."

She laughed and her attention was brought back to present day as the wind whipped outside. "So what are they having you do here?"

Ben leaned back in the couch and shrugged. "A lot of prep work. I'm handing out flyers later, telling people what they'll need for hurricane kits or the best evacuation routes. That kinda stuff."

"Do you have to stay here, too? During the storm, I mean?"

He could hear the worry in her voice but nodded, "Yeah." Ben watched Charlotte's face drop and he patted her knee. "We'll be okay, though. You think some hurricane will take me and Graham out?" He laughed at the mere idea of it and shook his head. "I don't think so."

The problem was that this wasn't _some_ storm. This happened to be a monstrous thing that could kill them both, but Charlotte couldn't think about that. She turned to Ben and nodded politely. "Yeah...you're right."

Before either of them could ask their next question or move onto their next topic Charlotte heard Hattie start to cry. She got up off the couch and smirked at Ben. "She must know you're here."

"Of course she does." Ben nodded and laughed while Charlotte went to get the baby. Five or so minutes passed by and when the blue eyed Coastie saw Charlotte come down with Hattie he looked at the baby with a smile.

"Hattie, look who's here." Charlotte's voice buzzed against the baby's fine hair and Ben gladly welcomed Hattie in his arms when Charlotte passed her over.

"You look like you mom, squirt." Ben smiled at the baby and watched as little hands grabbed a hold of his nose.

"Careful. She'll want to pull it off." Charlotte laughed nodding her head because she'd watched Hattie try to pull off Graham's nose countless times.

"Don't pull off my nose." Ben shook his head and scrunched up his face.

Hattie started to laugh and her whole belly shook. Charlotte smiled at the interaction and shook her head as she walked toward the kitchen. "See...you have to move back here, Ben. You don't wanna miss this kinda stuff."

Arching his brow as if the little girl had the answers, Ben looked to Hattie. "What do you think? You want me to come back to Tree Hill?"

The brown eyes that Hattie had inherited from Charlotte looked to Ben's with the answer. She couldn't talk yet but Hattie's message was clear.

Ben smiled and then watched Charlotte walk back toward them. "Hattie might make a case for me to come back." He gave the six month old to her mom and watched Charlotte nod.

"I know. She's got a look that could kill, doesn't she?"

Ben got up to head outside so he could board up the windows. "Graham's gonna have his hands full when she's a teenager. Those boys won't stand a chance."

Charlotte laughed and looked at the little girl in her arms while Ben walked outside. "Your dad's gonna be like my dad and tell you you can't date till you're thirty." That was nothing short of the truth and Charlotte laughed thinking about their future. Graham would surely have a protective eye on Hattie and he probably wouldn't even blink when she became a teenager.

But that future seemed uncertain when Charlotte was brought out of her thoughts as Ben started hammering. They all needed to get through this storm first. Weather the hurricane and come out alright, and then Charlotte could breathe again. Think again. Not worry so much about the possibilities of what might happen and what could happen.

The evening rolled through the sky and the sun was starting its plunge towards the horizon. Ben had finished with the windows but Charlotte invited him back for dinner. The old friends had some catching up to do.

The indigo sky was changing colors as Charlotte waited on her two favorite Coasties and Hattie was making her mom laugh. The six month old was on the floor headbutting Mack in the side. The dog didn't seem to mind and his non-nonchalant attitude about someone poking his side made Charlotte smile. She turned when she heard the front door open and like a hound on a trail, Hattie took off crawling.

"Hey, minnow." Graham knelt down and scooped up his daughter. "Watcha doing?" Something inaudible came out of Hattie's mouth and he nodded like he knew exactly what she was saying. "Yeah? Me too."

Even if Charlotte was still mad about the evacuation plan the sight and sound of those two together was something else. She'd go. She and Hattie would drive to Raleigh. Not because she was using her common sense and getting out of the path of the projected eye, but because she loved him enough to do it.

Graham walked toward his wife and sat down next to her. "Hey."

"Hey." She turned to him with a soft smile and then leaned over to kiss him.

With their child in his arms, Graham took a deep breath and looked at the television's picture of Lucile's projected path. "The Admiral said the governor would be sending out mandatory evac..."

"I know. We're going." She didn't need for him to tell her. They'd go.

Graham let out a sigh of relief. "I really think that's best. You'll be better off in Raleigh than here." As much as he wanted to be with Charlotte and their baby as the storm roared over their coastal home town, he knew that being sandwiched between the ocean and the cape was anything but safe. Not to mention the fact that he'd be busy elsewhere. Them leaving made him feel a little bit better about having to work. At least he _knew_ they'd be safe. His company would take good care of them; of all of the families.

Charlotte nodded and leaned into his side, looked up, and kissed his jaw. "I love you, Graham."

He turned to her with a slow nod. "I love you, too."

They'd have to wait and see what Mother Nature had planned for them. Maybe it would be nothing? Maybe it would be catastrophic? As much as the meteorologists wanted to predict things, they couldn't ever really be certain. What was certain, however; was the fact that Charlotte and Graham loved each other. No wind could blow that away. No rain could dampen the very fire that burned between the two of them. But it could try. Lucile was strong and she was coming for Tree Hill fast. Someone was bound to get caught in her wrath.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte awoke to a thunderous boom that shook her hotel room and it didn't surprise her that Hattie woke up too. Her wails filled the small room and Charlotte tried to soothe her scared daughter. Pushing the power button on the remote, the television lit up the room and the new mom watched Hurricane Lucile's outer bands scroll across the state. The heavy rain and threat of tornadoes wasn't exactly anything to be happy about but there was good news. Over the last day and a half the storm had significantly weakened to a category three storm and it was going down from there. The eye was going to miss Tree Hill which was another good thing. It would still be bad at home, there was no doubt about that, but at least Charlotte could worry a _little_ less.

Lighting illuminated the night sky and Charlotte held Hattie tightly against her chest. "It's okay. Everything's okay."

It seemed like it, but it wasn't. Just as Charlotte said that she heard sirens. A familiar siren that told her to get to the lowest level of the building because there wasn't only a tornado watch in effect, but now a tornado warning.

Frantic, Charlotte tried to gather up anything necessary that Hattie might need and walked out of her hotel room to see other hotel guests flooding the hallway. In a pet friendly hotel, Mack stayed close to Charlotte' side because if Graham wasn't there he'd be the one to protect them from something.

"Charlotte...hey."

Turning toward a familiar face, Charlotte smiled at Emily, the longtime girlfriend of a friend of her and Graham's, and shifted the baby in her arms. "Where do we go?"

"I don't know. Downstairs I guess." Emily looked at Charlotte and held out her hand. "Here, let me take one of those bags for you."

"Thanks."

The two significant others of Coastie men made their way down to the lobby where a hotel employee promptly directed everyone to the basement. Everyone walked past the kitchen and somehow all fit into a storage room. The lights started to flicker and Charlotte kept Hattie close. In all the madness there was something inherently comforting about having her daughter in her arms.

Charlotte felt her pocket buzz and answered without looking. "Hello?"

"Charlotte, where are you. There are tornado warnings for Raleigh."

"I know. We're in the basement of the hotel."

"Oh, good." Haley's voice had been full of worry and when she and Nathan had seen the weather men pointing at Raleigh with the latest news she couldn't help but call and make sure her youngest was safe. She and Nathan were in Charlotte and it was raining pretty hard outside but nothing terrible was going on. "Have you h..."

Charlotte looked at her phone when her mom started to break up and shook her head. "Mom, I can't hear you. The reception is really bad."

Haley heard bits and pieces of Charlotte's conversation and sighed. "We love you. Stay safe."

Charlotte only made out a few words and then she lost the call. Her signal strength went all the way down and there wasn't any hope of getting any bars down there.

Emily was sitting with her back against the wall next to Charlotte and took a deep breath. "You don't think Trevor and the boys are dealing with this kind of thing at home, do you?"

"I don't know." Charlotte had no idea. She certainly hoped not.

"Here we go, we got it." A teenage boy had been messing with a battery operated television and had been maneuvering the antenna until a picture came through.

"...heavy, heavy winds coming down along the coast. We have reports of the eye making landfall at Sneads Ferry. Flooding within this area will be hard to miss. If you are between Oak Island and the Outer Banks brace for widespread power outages, down trees, rising water...this could be bad, folks."

It was. The meteorologist wasn't kidding and no one in the basement of the Marriott in Raleigh would know what was going on at home until they got there.

Power was out around the city, the Cape had risen significantly, and Water Street was close to being _under_ water.

"Mac, here." Trevor tossed Graham a first aid kit and they packed the helicopter full of everything they may need to help save someone. The sides of the hanger were rattling with the wind and the noise from the storm had everyone yelling just so they could hear each other.

"Look out!" Captain Billings saw the light swinging from the raptors and called to his officers as it fell to the floor.

Graham and Trevor backed away in time but the light burst against the hard floor and shattered into a million pieces

"Holy shit!" Trevor looked to Graham wide eyed. "That could have killed us!"

Glad that it didn't, Graham tossed the rest of the gear in the chopper and hurried over to Captain Billings. "We're all set."

Nodding, Graham's captain looked to adjacent main building. "They're not letting us out of here until the storm weakens and daylight comes around. We've gotta head inside for shelter."

Graham, Trevor and Captain Billings hurried to the main building where the other on duty men were waiting. They'd lost power but the generators were powering a few lights.

A fax from the National Weather Service beeped as it printed and the Admiral tore it from the machine. "Hurricane warning for the following counties until nine am tomorrow morning: Brunswick, _New_ _Hanover_, Pender, Onslow, Carteret, Dare... Tornado warnings remain in effect for Wake, Wilson, and Lenoir.

"Wake?" Graham looked to Trevor and then looked at one of the North Carolina maps on the wall. He pulled out his small Maglite and the brightness told him the truth he didn't want to see. "That's Raleigh."

"Raleigh?" Trevor got up and looked at the map. "That's where they are." His girlfriend and the rest of his friends' families were there taking shelter only to be caught in the middle of it.

Graham's head started spinning and he couldn't simply sit around Tree Hill while his wife and daughter were in harms way. Without thinking about it Graham started walking towards the door and opened it meeting Lucile head on. The rain stung through his clothes and the wind was so strong he could hardly stand.

"What are you doing!" Ben ran after Graham and tried to pull him back inside.

"Let go of me, Ben!"

"Graham. Stop!" Ben was taller, and bigger than Graham. If he had to, he could stop him if the green eyed Coastie didn't come to his senses.

"They're in Raleigh, Ben! I let them go, and now..."

A piece of sheet metal had blown off one of the hangers and flew towards the two guys and they both hit the ground. Graham laid against the ground and rested his cheek on the soupy pavement and blew the water away from his face. He hadn't been hit but it had come close enough.

Ben popped up and grabbed Graham under the shoulders, dragging him towards the door. "We have to go back inside, Graham! Charlotte and Hattie are gonna be fine." He looked around to the swirling debris that Lucile was spinning around. "But we might not!"

Trevor opened up the door and Admiral Langston furrowed his brow. "McFarland! Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

Soaking wet, Graham shook his head. He didn't want to get killed, not at all, but he wanted to make sure his family was safe and being two hours away from each other wasn't allowing him the opportunity.

Ben looked at his best friend and shook his head, patting Graham on the shoulder. "They're gonna be okay. But you can't do that, man."

He knew that running out in the storm had been dumb but something came over him. A need to protect Charlotte and Hattie more so than ever, and he couldn't stop himself. It had been a good thing Ben had run after him. There was no telling what he may have met in Lucile's violent tantrum.

"There's not a lot we can do right now. I suggest you all take to the cots and try to get some sleep. We'll be up and out early tomorrow." The Admiral took off his cap and scratched his head looking to his men with a reassuring eye.

There were about twenty five cots lined up in the adjacent mess hall and the Coasties who could get to sleep did. The wind provided a constant howling and the rain bouncing off the roof sounded like the ocean crashing onto shore. Graham laid in his uncomfortable cot thinking about his two girls, hoping they were safe and sleeping soundly.

The tornado warning had passed about an hour ago and Charlotte was back in her room with Hattie and Mack but she wasn't asleep. The power kept flickering and the clock flashed twelve o'clock so many times as it reset itself she wasn't sure what time it was. The rain pummeled the window but the wind wasn't as powerful as it had been. Hattie was asleep next to Charlotte and the new mom watched the baby breathe in and out finding a comfortable rhythm in the way they were laying there. Her muted television lit up the room whenever a bright screen came on but she couldn't take her eyes off of it. One hundred mile an hour winds were reported in Tree Hill and she couldn't imagine what was going on at home.

A loud bang woke up most of the Coasties who had been asleep and they all knew that Lucile's breath had blasted something up against the side of the building.

"You awake?" Graham turned over to the cot next to him and looked at his friend.

Nodding, Ben still had his eyes shut. "Yeah."

Both guys stayed quiet as they listened to the hurricane smack the base with her powerful force.

"Makes you wanna stay in Texas, huh?" Graham found himself laughing at his question and his sarcasm because he knew this was something no one wanted to deal with.

Ben smiled and shook his head. "Nah. Makes things interesting. Who wouldn't want to do this all the time?" He was joking as they listened to a tree slam against the ground as it surrendered to Lucile's powerful winds. The loud thud told them it had been a big one that was probably up by the road.

Trevor was in the cot on the other side of Graham, and chimed into Graham and Ben's conversation. "We make it out of this thing and I'm gonna propose to Emily."

Graham smiled and leaned back against his pillow. "We're gonna make it out."

"Yeah, even if we have to paddle ourselves outta here." Ben found the humor in their situation and had the other guys laughing.

Trevor nodded. "I am. I have a ring. I have everything all planned out."

Graham shook his head. "Don't plan for anything. Just go for it. If you plan it something will go wrong."

"Yeah. Graham McSmoothHands over here dropped Charlotte's ring in the sand." Ben knew that if he were ever to propose he'd never do it on a beach. That seemed like a bad idea to begin with.

Nodding, Graham rolled his eyes. "Which is exactly my point. Don't think it through, just ask her." He wasn't entirely sure if that was the best answer because he never regretted dropping her ring. He was just glad that they found it.

That ring had been his grandmother's and now it was on Charlotte's finger sparkling with the reflection of the morning light. It was quiet and calm outside in Raleigh and Charlotte started to wake with a curious feeling about what things were going to look like. Were there lots of trees down here? What about at home? Did the water flood downtown Tree Hill? She didn't know the answers but turned to grab her phone wondering if she had any messages. There were a few texts from her brother, one from Sawyer that didn't make sense. _Stu_ was all Charlotte had to go with, and even as smart as she was, the Ivy League educated young mom couldn't an didn't know what to make of it. Maybe she'd taken shelter with some guy named Stu. Sawyer was supposed to go to Raleigh with Charlotte but the stubborn blonde never made it, and Charlotte figured she'd stayed home against the orders of the governor. But Stu? What did that mean? Did Sawyer have a neighbor named Stewart? Maybe. Possibly. Probably. Charlotte wasn't sure. But as she tried to figure out Sawyer's mystery text her phone started to buzz and she saw a picture of a familiar blue eyed man pop up on her screen.

"Hi, Dad."

Her voice in his ear was a welcomed sign. No matter how old she was he'd always want to make sure she was safe. "Charlotte. Hey. How's everything where you are?"

Slowly getting out of bed, Charlotte quietly got up to look outside. There were tree branches and leaves scattered over the parking lot. "Messy. We have power though."

Nathan felt a bit of relief knowing that his daughter and grand-daughter were okay. "Have you talked to Graham? Has he said anything about home?"

Shaking her head, Charlotte got back on the bed and looked at the six month old asleep by her side. "Not yet. I had a voice mail I haven't checked yet so it's probably him."

"Probably." Nathan nodded and took a deep breath. "Well I wanted to check in. Your mom and I will probably head back to town in a little while. The Weather Channel said the most of the major roads are open and that power outages aren't widespread."

"Yeah. I think we're all leaving here sometime this afternoon." Charlotte gently ran her hand over Hattie's side.

"Be careful."

"We will. You too."

Nathan nodded, "Love you. We'll see you back home."

Charlotte said goodbye to her father and then anxiously pushed the buttons to listen to her voice mail.

"Hey. It's early. You're probably still asleep but we're all about to go out to see what we can do. We know there are a lot of trees down but the water didn't rise like we thought it might. That's good. But I'll be around. If you come home you might want to go to your parents. I haven't checked the house but I know there were trees down on our street. You might not be able to get through." Charlotte could hear someone telling Graham his assignment and then his voice came back. "I love you. I'll see you soon."

"I love you too." She'd said it out of habit but knew he hadn't heard her.

The only thing Graham could hear right now was the sound of tires splashing through water. There was a portion of Front Street where it intersected with Andrew Jackson that had standing water that the Coasties and a few firemen were trying to maintain. Two inches of rushing water was enough to send a car on it's way so it was a good thing that most of this was standing water. Earlier in the morning Graham and others heaved sand bags along the road to try and keep more water from washing up on the road and so far they were doing a good job.

He had a orange light in his hand was waving his arms as cars drove by.

"Are there any roads that aren't passable?" A older man rolled down his window and he looked to Graham for the answers.

"There are trees down in the residential portion of town. If you're headed home, just be weary and if you see down power lines report them to the power company."

"Thank you." The man nodded and Graham watched him drive by and then watched as the next car pulled up. There was a line that stretched all the away across the bridge and he knew he was in for a long day. They all were. Some people were coming home to no power. Some would find tress down in their yards. Standing water littered the town and some places were deeper than other. Tree Hill was a mess but eventually they'd get everything back to normal. The water would recede, down trees could be cut up and power would be restored. It was all just a matter of time.

The line of traffic was grueling and as long of a day it was making for Graham it was making Charlotte's even longer. A baby didn't do well in a car unless they were asleep and Hattie wasn't asleep. She was fighting it.

"We're almost home, Hattie." Charlotte turned around and smiled at the baby hoping that would settle the baby but it didn't really help.

A steady rain started to fall and Charlotte thanked Lucile for hanging around because if anything could put Hattie to bed it was the rain. Just like her dad, Hattie loved the sound of the water, any type of water, so the constant rain could soothe her to sleep.

Staying quiet, Charlotte waited for the rain to do its thing and when the car was filled with a silence, Charlotte couldn't help but smile. Hattie sure was a McFarland girl. She'd probably be destined to spend her days on the water just like Graham.

The traffic was another story. The rain hadn't cleared any of that up and if anything, made it worse. But little by little, Charlotte made her way to town. There was a guy in blue directing traffic but it wasn't the blue of the Tree Hill police. It was the Coast Guard, but she was too far away to tell who it was.

He wasn't. Graham could see her car and knew that she was home. He got a warm feeling in his chest as she got closer and he squinted towards her trying to keep the rain out of his eyes.

Charlotte pulled up to the edge of the water where the street was submerged and felt her heart jump into her throat. This wasn't some Coastie directing them on the safe path. This was her Coastie. A thick pond of water separated the two and it was time for him to wave her through but he didn't. His feet started walking toward her car.

Opening up the door, Charlotte didn't care if she got a little wet from the rain or if her feet got soaked in the water. They hadn't said a word before they kissed and Charlotte ran her hands through his hair with a cute smile. "You're gonna get sick out here."

He wasn't. Not with her home. A weight had been lifted from his shoulders now that she was here and he shook his head. "Why'd you get out of your car?"

She looked at him and laughed. "Why do you think?" She kissed him again and never felt so safe in her life.

A horn blew from behind the couple and one of the firefighters clapped. "Come on, Graham. We gotta let the other ones through."

Charlotte looked over to her shoulder and pushed the rain out of her eyes and winced.

He put his hand on the small of her back and moved Charlotte back to the car. "Just take it slow as you go through here."

Charlotte nodded and kissed him quickly before she got in her car. Hattie was still perfectly asleep and Charlotte laughed at herself for getting out and getting soaked. But some things were worth it.

Graham waved her through and he watched as her tires sprayed out water as she drove by. He watched her turn towards her parents house and knew that things were gonna be fine from here on out.

The drive to her parents house has been relatively smooth. There were a few people out with chainsaws cutting up down trees but she was happy to see that her childhood home had sustained minimal damage. There was only one car in the driveway which made Charlotte wonder if her parents were home yet but when she got Hattie and Mack inside she was met by her father.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Nathan shook his head and then looked at Charlotte's clothes. "Why are you all wet?"

Charlotte set Hattie's car seat on the counter and took off her jacket. She had a rush of heat swarm her cheeks and she laughed at herself. "Long story." She was gonna hang her jacket and grab some dry clothes of her moms but realized she wasn't around. "Where's mom?"

"At the hospital."

"The hospital?" Charlotte's color drained from her face when she heard that word. "What? Wh...why?"

"Yeah. I thought you'd be there."

Charlotte shook her head and furrowed her brow. "What? Dad what are you talking about?" The last she knew everything was okay. She'd seen Graham, she'd talked to her parents a few hours ago. Jamie and his family were in Savannah.

"Your mom's with Lucas. Sawyer..." He looked at his youngest and shook his head. "She didn't evacuate and..."

"Well is she okay?"

Nathan shook his head. "It's not good."

That was all she needed to know. Charlotte quickly ran to the laundry room to throw on something dry and then made sure everything her dad would need to take care of Hattie was with him. She jumped into the car with a uncertain feeling about her best friend and cousin and hoped everything was okay. She thought they'd gotten lucky, that no one she cared about had gotten hurt. Obviously she was wrong.

**OTHOTH**

The drive to the hospital took longer than normal and when she got there it seemed to be in chaos. A lot of people were waiting in the emergency section with various ailments that had come from the storm but Charlotte headed straight for the nurses' station.

"Can you tell me where to find a patient? Scott. Last name's Scott."

A woman who looked like she'd been up since yesterday eyed the room numbers and then looked to Charlotte with a raised brow. "Sawyer?"

"Yeah."

"Third floor in the ICU."

ICU? Charlotte's feet went before she realized it and she hoofed it up the stairs and then made her way down the cold hospital corridors until she saw a familiar face. "Aunt Brooke..."

"Charlotte. Hi." The raspy voiced woman hugged her niece.

Not really knowing why she seemed to be the last to find out about what was going on, Charlotte looked to her aunt for answers. "Where's Sawyer? What's wrong?"

Brooke sat down in one of the chairs and then watched Charlotte take a seat. "She has septicemia."

"Septicemia? Isn't that bad?"

Brooke nodded and took a deep breath. "She's in a coma. A medically induced coma. They're trying to break her fever."

"What? Oh my God." All of this new information flew at Charlotte faster than she could comprehend.

Charlotte knew that septicemia was in layman terms, blood poisoning. "How'd that happen? Who got her here?"

"I don't know? Peyton called me upset. Lucas called your mom... I don't know what happened except that she's here now."

Looking towards the room, Charlotte took a step towards it and then took a deep breath. She was gonna go in but two people walked out before she did.

"Charlotte..." Haley looked at her youngest with a somber smile. "Hi."

As the door opened, Charlotte could see Sawyer lying in bed pale as a ghost. Peyton was sitting by her bedside holding her hand and seeing that was enough to make Charlotte choke up.

"Uncle Lucas..." Charlotte shook her head and held him tight. "She's gonna be okay, right?" Asking him probably wasn't the right thing to do but it just kinda fell out of her mouth.

Lucas nodded. "We think so. The doctor said they found her early enough that it hadn't impacted her organs."

"Where's Keith does he know? Do I need to call him? Or Nick?" Charlotte wasn't sure if Sawyer's boyfriend knew what was wrong.

"Keith's on his way now and Brooke called Nick. He was getting the earliest flight out of Denver."

Lucas shrugged and shook his head. "There's not a lot we can do. We just have to wait."

Understanding that they'd be dealing with the waiting game, Charlotte nodded. "Do you need anything? Does Aunt Peyton need anything?"

With a kind smile Lucas shook his head. Charlotte was just like her mom. Always making sure everyone was okay in times of need. "We're fine. Thanks."

One of Sawyer's doctors was walking toward him and Lucas excused himself. Haley looked to her daughter and wrapped her arm around her. "We're fine here. Brooke and I are gonna wait around, be here for Lucas and Peyton, but you don't need to stay. You have a baby to take care of."

"Dad has her."

Haley figured as much but knew that Charlotte was going to turn into a worrisome mess at the hospital. Her youngest and Sawyer were practically sisters. It would probably be best if Charlotte went home. "I'll call you if anything changes."

Charlotte didn't want to go. She wanted to stay and make sure things were okay but she knew her mom and aunt could handle everything. It would get crowded when Keith got their anyway and then when Nick came back to town that would be even more people. It probably was best if she left. Charlotte nodded and then laughed as she wiped her eyes. "Well if she wakes up tell her I was here. She'll hold it against me if she thinks I didn't come."

Haley laughed because she knew it was true. "Okay. I will."

Hugging her mom, Charlotte made her way out of the hospital and tried to think happy thoughts. Funny thoughts. Sawyer wasn't meant to be hooked up to machines and monitors, and Charlotte couldn't help but smile as she imagined that her blonde friend might wake up and rip out her IVs yelling at the nurse for not having any music in the room. It was how Sawyer was. She didn't let medicine take its course, she took her own route and most of the time, almost all of the time, she did things faster and better than everyone else. Sure, she was loud mouthed and would tell you how it was even when you didn't ask her but it was what everyone loved about her. You liked it or you didn't, but even if Sawyer had a mostly snarky side, she didn't deserve blood poisoning.

Charlotte turned away from the hospital not on her way to her parents house but she wanted to drive by Sawyer's house to see if that left her any clues about what happened. No one had told her but she didn't know if anyone actually knew.

There were down limbs and a few people working with chainsaws along the street and then Charlotte slowed her car. As she rolled up to Sawyer's house, the house she'd once shared with her cousin, Charlotte instantly figured out what had happened. The broken glass, smashed siding, and caddywompus oak told her everything and them some. She pulled away from the house and shook her head. Sawyer hadn't been with a guy named Stu. She'd been stuck. S.T.U._C_._K_. Those last two letter must have gotten lost in the mix of things and Sawyer's message had only been half of what she'd wanted to say.

Suddenly Charlotte started to feel guilty. Guilty that she could have prevented this. She should have picked up Sawyer the morning she left for Raleigh. Sawyer may have bitched and moaned about it but she wouldn't be in the hospital.

When she got to her parents house, Nathan was on the couch with Hattie and he looked at her with raised brows. "Any news?"

Charlotte sat down on the couch next to her father and shook her head. "No. They have to wait." Nathan nodded and then looked to the little girl who was propped up in his lap. Hattie was gnawing on black plastic serving spoon and Charlotte laughed. "Nice toy."

"I had to think fast...okay." Nathan laughed at himself and shrugged. "She started to wake up and it was the closest thing I could grab."

Charlotte leaned into her father and smiled. "You did good, Dad. You did good."

The father and daughter duo watched and smiled at Hattie for a while but just as soon as the phone range Charlotte shot off the couch like a bullet in a gun.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's me." Haley voice was warm and soft.

"What's going on?"

Haley shook her head. "Nothing. I was just wondering if you've heard from Jamie." The fact that she was sitting in the hospital with her best friend worrying about his oldest made her worry about her oldest.

Charlotte hadn't talked to her brother but asked her dad. "Have you talked to Jame, Dad?"

"Yeah he called. They were gonna stay in Savannah a couple more days. He said he'd call back tonight."

Retelling her mom that information, she said goodbye and then looked to her dad again. "Did you tell him about Sawyer?"

Nathan shook his head. He hadn't gotten the chance when they'd spoken so briefly earlier. Charlotte dialed her brother's number and when he picked up she told him the news. He thought it was a joke at first, Sawyer was the kind to cry wolf but Charlotte quickly told him it was serious. The brother and sister talked a little while and before they hung up Jamie reassured Charlotte that things were gonna be okay.

Maybe they were. Maybe they weren't.

Either way, as Charlotte hung up the phone she solemnly smiled at her dad and headed up the stairs. "I think I'm gonna take a shower. Get out of these dirty clothes. Are you good with her for a while?"

"Yeah, sure."

Charlotte walked up to her old bedroom and even though it had been redone since her high school days there were still a few pictures from her teenage years. One made her laugh and she picked up the frame studying the old photo. She'd been a junior in high school and she was in her cheerleading uniform. She had a big smile on her face but the girl next to her looked far from happy. Sawyer looked miserable. She had her arms crossed and her pompoms even looked like they'd lost a bit of their fluff. Charlotte wasn't even sure why Sawyer ever cheered, she was probably the least cheery person she knew but the broody Scott did it anyway. Memories of their high school days flooded her mind and then the only thing Charlotte could picture was Sawyer's white face in the hospital.

Lying down on her bed, Charlotte closed her eyes and tried to think of things less haunting. Hattie. Graham. Her mom and Dad. Jamie. Bennet... There were faces that could make her smile but it didn't keep her heart from breaking.

Downstairs, Nathan had Hattie in his arms and they were making their way through the kitchen drawers pulling out anything and everything that might be baby appealing. Nathan and Haley had a stack of baby toys for the grand kids but Nathan liked doing more.

"Wait, wait..." Nathan took the plastic two pronged whatever it was out of Hattie's hand and shook his head. "That's pokey. You might hurt yourself." Nathan's eyes got wide and he thought he had a pretty good idea. "How about Tupperware?" Nathan walked over to the other side of the cabinet and pulled out a few clear containers. He set one on Hattie's head and nodded with a cute grin.

While Hattie and her grandfather got in some bonding time Graham walked through the front door of his in-laws house. Hattie took off from the kitchen on all fours when she heard the door open. She was like mini magnet to his side.

"Hey." Graham picked up Hattie and blew a raspberry on her cheek. "I missed you."

Nathan got up off the kitchen floor and Graham walked in with funny look. Nathan looked at the mess of Tupperware and laughed. "We were playing."

"Were you playing with Grandpa, minnow?" Graham looked at Hattie and nodded. "I think you were." The green eyed Coastie laughed and then looked around. "Where's Charlotte?" Her car was in the driveway so he knew she was there.

"Upstairs."

"Lets go get her Hattie. Take her home." Graham walked up the stairs and then knocked on the door before he walked in his wife's old bedroom. She was on her bed and he put Hattie next to her and their daughter crawled up to Charlotte.

Opening her red eyes, Charlotte. could tell Graham was there and then felt Hattie nudge her in the side. "Hey."

Instantly Graham could tell something was off. "What's wrong?" He sat down next to her and put his hand on her leg.

"Sawyer." Charlotte shrugged.

"What's wrong with Sawyer?"

He didn't know either? Charlotte sighed and shook her head. "She's in the hospital."

"What?"

Charlotte nodded. "And it's my fault."

He furrowed his brow and shook his head again. "What? Charlotte why would you think that?"

"Because she sent me a text yesterday that she was stuck. It didn't _actually_ say stuck but she was texting me for help." Charlotte let her breath catch up to her and she used the back of her hand to catch her falling tears.

"Whoa, whoa..." Graham tried to make sense of everything. "She may have asked for help but whatever happened wasn't your fault, Charlotte."

Shrugging, Charlotte shook her head. "But she might not be in a coma if I had known."

"But you can't think like that." He still was a little fuzzy on the details but knew that whatever had happened wasn't Charlotte's fault.

"I'm a bad friend." Charlotte took a deep breath and pulled Hattie up to her chest and rested her cheek on the little girl's head.

He shook his head for what felt like the thousandth time. "No you're not."

"Then why do I feel like it?"

Graham shrugged. "Because that's just who you are. How you are. You always try and fix things. Make things right when they're wrong. You don't like to see anyone hurt and I love you for that. I do." Graham nodded and leaned over to her and kissed Charlotte's forehead. "But Sawyer's gonna be just fine."

Sighing, Charlotte's brown eyes locked with his green ones. "How do you know."

"Because it's Sawyer." He made light of the situation and started to grin. "St. Peter probably doesn't want to mess with her yet." That got a laugh out of Charlotte, and Graham laid down next to his wife. She leaned over to him and rested her head on his shoulder. He turned closer to her, "Are you ready go home?"

She was. She wanted to get home, in their own house, in their own bed but right now she kinda liked how they were. "Can we lay here a little longer?"

He nodded and looked up to the ceiling. "Wanna hear a story?"

Charlotte closed her eyes and nodded into his chest. "Make it a good one."

Graham nodded and cleared his throat. "You know why starfish wash up on the beach?"

She hadn't heard this one and listened to Graham tell his version of the story. It was a made up tale to make her feel better, a small escape from reality, and it was everything she needed. He was everything she needed. She had her own story thanks to him, and one of these days Graham would be telling it to Hattie.

**OTHOTH**

**So how many of you expected that? Hands up, hands up. Okay, so how many of you you thought Graham would be the one "hurt"? Charlotte? Maybe even Ben? Well...I didn't do Graham since he was just in "trouble" in the last chapter, and Sawyer was the best fit for the time line. I could have skipped this event entirely in this story but there were some things I wanted to hit on. Next chapter will include the McFarland group (maybe Crawford will have illegitimate beach babies) and then Charlotte and Graham will deal with something all new parents have to face. Someone's gonna have her first cold. Sound good?**

**My reviewers are the greatest. Thank you so much for the continued support. Without you guys, this story wouldn't have made it past chapter 1.**

**kellbell: Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you love Charlotte and Graham!**

**J: I appreciate the review! I'm happy you liked the chapter**

**2old4oth: Last chapter was a little bit of a tester regarding Graham's job and accident because there will be a future chapter that will be much more substantial in that department. Thanks for the review!**

**Sara: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! Thanks for the feedback!**

**Joan: Graham's big accident will happen later. That one won't end like last chapter did...oh the suspense is building, isn't it. Ha. Sawyer's always fun to write and her hurricane chapter will have a LOT of stuff to go over, and will probably be chapter 12. Thanks for the review!**

**Please Review!**


	23. Between Wind and Water

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 23: Between Wind and Water**

**Disclaimer: I don't own OTH. If I did, I wouldn't make us wait until _January_ to air the new season.**

**A/N: Hey all. New chapter for LMLD here. This one includes some familiar faces we haven't seen in a while, a little bit of new parenting ups and downs, and sailing. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte wasn't normally the kind of person to run late for things, but this hadn't been her day. Not only was she fighting evening traffic, but her morning had been less than awesome. As she sat bumper to bumper, she looked out the window and laughed at herself for putting herself in this situation. Actually, it wasn't really even her fault. It was more her uncle Lucas's. They'd met for a late lunch to talk about his newest book, and a one hour ordeal ended up lasting about three. Why was that exactly? Charlotte had a lot to say. She was more than familiar with the subject matter and provided a little bit of two sides to the story he was writing. Who's story? Sawyer's of course. Charlotte's opinionated best friend and cousin was out of the loop as to what her father was up to, but the brown eyed mother of one had just provided him more information than she probably should have. Once Sawyer found out about this new project and realized everyone she knew had a helping hand she would probably flip out, but that was an issue for another day. Right now Charlotte needed to get home.

She and Graham and Hattie were supposed to be on the road by now, but considering she was sitting in rush hour traffic, Charlotte knew she wasn't making it home anytime soon. And that meant they weren't getting to the Outer Banks anytime soon either.

It was the end of December and the family of three was headed up to Graham's hometown to visit his family for a few days. They'd celebrate a late Christmas and spend time with the McFarland brood they didn't get to see too often.

It was gonna be nice once they got up there.

If they got up there.

The light turned green but the cars in front of Charlotte weren't budging. This really wasn't her day. Sighing, Charlotte rested her elbow against the side of the door and her head in her hand. She let out a huff thinking of the morning she'd had.

_Charlotte stirred her cup of coffee until the black became brown and she looked over the local newspaper wondering what was going on in the world. Quiet moments like these were hard to come by lately and she relished the peaceful stillness that the house had. Graham and Mack were gone on a morning run and Charlotte had the whole house to herself. Hattie was still sleeping but Charlotte knew that it was only a matter of time before their little girl woke up._

_Flipping through the sports section, Charlotte saw a picture of her dad and it brought a smile to her face. The UNCW Seahawks hosted a Jingle Ball Jam basketball tournament and her dad was snapped in a quick picture. Knelt down by the floor, Nathan was drawing up a play for his team, and Charlotte reached out and ran her finger over the picture. A dry black dust rubbed onto her finger but the new mom didn't care. Charlotte loved that he was still so passionate about the sport he loved. Maybe when Hattie was older he'd teacher her how to shoot a free throw on the Rivercourt, or maybe she and Graham would have a little boy who would follow in her dad's footsteps? That would be nice. _

_Thinking about the future's possibilities was interrupted when she heard Hattie's soft cries._

_Charlotte put down the paper and headed up to Hattie's room. The eight month old was sitting up against the bars of her crib with teary brown eyes. She didn't like waking up alone._

"_Hey, Hattie." Charlotte scooped her little girl and placed a warm kiss against the side of Hattie's soft temple. "Morning, baby." She could feel the weight of Hattie's soggy diaper and knew a fresh set of clothes was in need. "Let's get you in some new clothes, Hat."_

_When her mom placed her on the changing table, Hattie kicked her legs up and out as she started to liven up. A baby gurgle and mumble started to pour from her mouth. She was starting up a conversation that her mom wouldn't understand, but they both liked to think they were talking to each other._

_Scratching one of her nails on Hattie's baby belly, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "Um..." Looking under the table for the diapers, Charlotte's plan to change Hattie's clothes started to fade. Something key was missing. "Where are they?" Talking out loud to herself, Charlotte looked around the room for the diapers. They were nowhere in sight._

"_Oh...come on." Charlotte was sure she was having a blind moment of stupidity. Hoping that she was overlooking them, Charlotte took another three minutes of searching the room until she realized she and Graham had made a seriously novice parenting mistake. They'd gotten down to the last diaper and failed to get any more._

_Not wanting to keep Hattie in the wet diaper from last night, Charlotte figured she could wrap her child's bottom half in a bath towel for the time being. It was the best she could think to do._

_Charlotte picked up Hattie and walked downstairs knowing they may have to take a quick trip to the store. But problem number two quickly fell upon the two brown eyed McFarlands. Graham's Tahoe was blocking in Charlotte's car. That normally wasn't a problem. Charlotte could handle Graham's SUV, but the sailboat trailer was connected, and Charlotte wasn't about to try and back that thing out of the driveway. _

_Realizing the unfortunate situation had just gotten worse, Charlotte wondered what to do next. Did she hope that Graham got back from his run soon? Would the little bath towel hold for now? Should she get creative with a paper towel or cloth napkin? Either way, things were bound to get messy._

"_I wish you were potty trained, Hat. That would make this so much easier." Charlotte laughed as she walked to the kitchen with her daughter in her arms. That was wishful thinking if she'd ever heard it, but that definitely would have make things easier. "I cannot believe we ran out of diapers."_

_The little girl looked to her mom and started rolling her tongue around. She didn't seem all that worried about her diaper-less bottom. The towel was doing a fine job keeping her warm. Right now she was more concentrated on getting something to eat._

"_You're hungry, aren't you?" Charlotte nodded and was happy that they weren't out of food. She knew that they were good in that department. The soreness she felt in her chest every so often told her that much._

_Finding a comfortable spot in the living room, Charlotte got busy getting the little one fed and found herself transfixed on the simple and natural beauty of breast feeding. While it wasn't the most comfortable thing in the world, the benefits greatly outnumbered the cons. She'd been doing it for a while now, but each time there was something inherently heartwarming about the process._

_But that sweet and comforting act started to feel a little bit warm and a whole lot of wet. _

_Charlotte knew what had happened and only shut her eyes as she started to feel a spot on her shirt start to dampen. Looking down, Charlotte could tell and feel that Hattie had found her nursing rhythm and the mom didn't want to interrupt her now. So Charlotte put on a brave face and told herself that holding out on getting cleaned off was all in the name of love. Moms took this kind of stuff as affection, right? Charlotte felt her wet shirt against her stomach and sighed. Sure._

_Sawyer was going to get a kick out of this. Graham was going to get a kick out of this. Charlotte would surly be the laughing stock of the family's jokes for a while._

_But for now she would have to get over the fact that she was in a grotty mess. She was a mom. She'd have to get used to it. She was bound to get in dirty situations in the future. If they had boys she'd probably have to deal with mud pies and squished bugs, more girls; and Charlotte and Graham would be scrubbing lipstick off the walls. Either way, no matter what the future had in store, Charlotte was just going to have to get used to this._

_When Hattie was done eating Charlotte burped her and made a b-line towards the kitchen. There was a foam bath mat they'd used on occasion under the sink and Charlotte set Hattie in the sink while she started to take off her soiled shirt. The new mom couldn't help but laugh as she pulled her shirt over her head. This was the kind of thing that happened to beginners and ill-prepared moms. Charlotte considered herself a pro. Obviously she had a lot of learning to do and a lot more bad experiences to go before she learned from her mistakes._

_After Hattie's clothes were off as well, and once Charlotte was only wearing her bra on her top half, the new mom started to bathe Hattie clean and then took a paper towel to her own stomach. Never in a million years would she have expected this. Of all the stories she'd heard, Charlotte knew little boys were the ones who peed on their parents. Not girls. Things like this must have only happened to the people who ran out of diapers. Was this some sort of parent punishment?_

_Maybe?_

_No matter the case, Charlotte couldn't help but smile about what had happened. She reached for a nearby toy and watched Hattie gnaw on the thing while she simultaneously splashed around in the water. Seeing her act so innocent and baby-like took the sourness of getting peed on away. _

_Outside, Graham had finished his run and walked through the front door wiping his sweaty brow with his arm. Mack followed him inside and both of them heard something coming from the kitchen. He wasn't expecting to see Hattie in the sink taking a bath and he certainly wasn't expecting to see Charlotte without a shirt. He had a cute grin on his face and arched his brow. "Nice outfit."_

_Charlotte turned around when she heard his footsteps and his voice. Her cheeks turned a warm shade of pink when she felt his eyes on her chest. It didn't matter how long they'd been together, the way he looked at her would never get old. _

_Graham crossed his arms as he slowly walked over to her._

_She could tell he was being playful and cute but Charlotte wasn't giving him a nice morning view just because she loved him. She laughed and shook her head. "Before you get excited I need you to run to the store."_

"_The store?"_

_Nodding, Charlotte looked to her shirt that was on the kitchen floor. "We're out of diapers" Shaking her with a laugh, Charlotte shrugged,"I tried to improvise but..."_

_Graham thought he figured out what had happened and started to laugh. "She didn't..."_

"_Yep...I was feeding her and I got this warm feeling..." Charlotte started to motion towards her stomach._

_He couldn't contain himself and started to bust out laughing._

"_Graham! It's not funny!"_

_Walking close to Charlotte he nodded. "Yes it is." He tried to stifle his laughs but didn't do a good job. "It's hysterical." Standing next to Charlotte, he did feel bad that she got peed on and slid his hand around her back. "But look at her..." They both turned to watch Hattie and loved the way her simple excitement about the water made them smile._

_While they took in the cute moment, Charlotte turned to her husband with a furrowed brow, "But we do need diapers."_

_Graham laughed with a nod. "I know. I'll go now."_

_Charlotte felt him walk away from her and she turned, "And will you park on the street so I can get out of the driveway later?"_

"_Yeah, sorry about blocking you in. I didn't even think about it." He looked to the door and then to Charlotte. "I'll be right back."_

_Glancing back to the cute adorableness that was splashing around in the sink, Charlotte smiled at Hattie. "You're something else, you know that?"_

Traffic moved up but Charlotte hadn't. The horn behind her broke her from her memory. She apologetically stuck her hand up in the air for the person behind her and took her foot off the break. The flow of traffic started to find a groove and before she knew it Charlotte was turning towards the house. She'd managed to get through the worst part of the car congestion and found herself pulling onto their street.

It was close to six when she pulled in the driveway. Graham's car was along the curb and the sailboat was all hooked up and ready. Graham was taking Banyan up to the Outer Banks to let the sails ride out the December wind one good time before he tied it up for winter's coldest months. It was chilly now, but it would only be worse when the winter gales started hammering the coast over the next few months. Graham wanted to take advantage of the time and Charlotte' didn't blame him.

When she walked inside she heard the cheerful Christmas music rolling through the house and Charlotte couldn't help but smile. 'Frosty the Snowman' was always a holiday favorite but what she'd just stumbled up on the living room made her love it even more. Hattie and Graham were on the floor watching a toy snowman bounce with the beat. Hattie was sitting and tried to imitate her toy's moves and it was beyond adorable. Graham wasn't dancing, but the fact that he was laid out on the floor watching Hattie was more than enough.

Hearing Charlotte come in, Graham turned to his wife with a smile. He started to sit up and held his hands out in front of him as he tried to dance like their little girl. "Come to join the fun?"

Smiling, Charlotte put her purse on the couch and nodded. "Sorry I'm late."

Graham shook his head and watched as Charlotte sat down next to him. "How'd it go? You tell all of Sawyer's secrets?"

Nodding, Charlotte kissed him before she laughed. "Hopefully she won't kill me."

The toy stopped singing and Graham hit it so the music would start again. Hattie started to thrust her hips in her sitting position and her parents couldn't help but laugh.

"Bogeying with Frosty, huh, Hattie?" Charlotte leaned over toward the little girl and kissed her on the side of her head. "Were you good for Daddy while I was gone?"

"She was." Graham answered and looked to Charlotte. "I got her fed and..." He looked at his watch. "...she'll probably start getting tired soon. Once she's down I figured we can head out of here."

"Yeah. That's fine." Charlotte nodded and thought that was a good idea. It would be easiest to travel with a sleeping child. The brown eyed woman started to get off the floor. "I'm gonna make sure we have everything."

Graham nodded and held his hands out to dance. "I'll be rocking it out with her."

For whatever reason, Charlotte felt a warm blush creep across her cheeks like she'd felt this morning. It was the little things like that and the way he was with Hattie; the things he said and the things he did that made Charlotte's heart skip a beat. Graham was everything she needed him to be and more.

While Graham made true on his promise and kept playing with Hattie, Charlotte made sure they had everything they'd need for the trip. She'd gotten an extra package of diapers just in case they ran out, and made sure the rest of the necessities were packed and ready. When she was positive that Hattie's things were packed and that she and Graham had everything they'd need Charlotte walked back towards her two favorite people.

Hattie had exhausted herself with the beat and was slowly starting to teeter-toter back and forth as her sleepiness got the best of her. Graham watched his little one sway with her lids closed and looked to Charlotte with a whisper. "Think we should go ahead and get her in the car seat?" He saw Charlotte nod and Graham got off the floor to get the car seat while Charlotte picked up Hattie.

Holding the baby close to her body, Charlotte slowly danced in place to a silent melody and hummed a slow version of 'Frosty the Snowman'. Hattie's eyes slowly closed and didn't seem like they'd open again for a while. Charlotte's warmth provided the perfect catalyst to getting Hattie to fall asleep. Swaying in the stillness, Charlotte smiled at Graham when he walked towards them with the car seat.

"I'll put the bags in the back and start the car so it's not too cold." He put the car seat down and felt Charlotte move closer to him. He couldn't help but stare at the sleeping baby in Charlotte's arms and then get lost in those deep brown eyes of hers. "I love you."

Their lips parted mid kiss as Charlotte pulled away from him with a sweet smile. "I love you, too."

He couldn't help it and leaned in for another kiss. "I'll meet you out there."

As Graham went out to the car, Charlotte strapped Hattie in the car seat and started to turn off the lights in the living room. She knew she wouldn't have to worry about Mack because Nick had come to get him earlier, so with one final look around their home, Charlotte knew they were ready to head out of town. Graham met her at the door and carried Hattie to the car while Charlotte locked up. Then the three McFarlands made their way out of town.

The drive would be long but worth it. They'd always loved going up to those barrier islands. Not only would they get the chance to see Graham's family, but there had always been something in that sweet salty air that made the Lieutenant and his wife feel comfortable. Tree Hill was home but the Outer Banks gave them Hattie. Maybe not _her_, but definitely her name. Maybe this visit could add to the family? One of these days their three would become four.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte cracked open her eyes and yawned without warning. The early morning sun was shining brightly through the windows but the temperature outside was cool and stark. Reaching out beside her, her hand ran over the empty sheets and she knew that Graham wasn't next to her. He was already up. The clock on the bedside table read just past eight and the brown eyed Coastie wife was surprised she'd slept in. Most days she was up before the sun but since they were on vacation Charlotte obviously let her early bird behavior wear off. At least for a little while.

Slowly scooting off the bed, Charlotte grabbed a sweater to toss over her shoulders and made her way towards the stairs. The old hardwood floor of Mitchell and Anne's house creaked as Charlotte's sock covered toes stepped out of the bedroom. Coffee filled her nostrils as she walked down the steps and she started to smile when she saw two people on the couch.

"Morning." Crawford was lounging on the couch with Hattie in his lap.

"Hi, Crawford. How are you?" Graham's little brother must have come over to the house early to get ready for his and Graham's big day. The two of them were gonna take the sailboat to Manteo and sail down to Hatteras for the day. The two McFarland guys were in for a good time.

Nodding, Crawford laughed. "Good. This one about took my nose off though." He made a face at his niece and grinned. "Isn't that right, Hattie?"

"Yeah. She's got a thing with pulling on noses." Charlotte smiled and heard footsteps come up behind her. "Hey..." Her warm brown eyes met his green ones and she felt her heart start to heat the core of her chest. Suddently December didn't seem so cold.

Graham had a cup of coffee in his hands and walked up to his wife kissing the side of her head. "Gotcha this."

"Thanks." Taking the steaming cup of caffeine, Charlotte sipped it as she watched Crawford and Hattie play. She turned to Graham with a raised brow. "When do you two leave?"

"Actually...we're changing plans."

"Oh, okay." She didn't catch his smile and went on to sip her coffee without much thought about it.

Graham smiled and nodded at Charlotte. "What if you come with me?"

Turning to Graham with a more serious look, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "On the boat? Sailing?"

"Yeah. When was the last time we got to do that?" He shrugged and put his hands in his pockets. "Just you and me?"

"Um..." Charlotte liked the idea and the fact that she could share some alone time with Graham. Being out on the water with him was something she loved to do. But they had an eight month old and Crawford wasn't exactly known for his responsibility. "What about Hattie?"

Anne walked out of the kitchen toward the young couple. She had a sweet smile and a softened brow. "That's what we're here for." Anne took a seat next to her youngest and gently reached out for Hattie. "I think Mitch and I are due for some time with this one." Smiling at the baby, Anne looked to Charlotte. "You two go and have fun."

"And you don't want to go, Crawford?" Charlotte looked to Graham's younger brother.

The twenty-something passed Hattie to his mom and got up off the couch. "I took an extra shift on the beach today." He looked to his mom and arched his brows, "I'm only here now cause Mom's cooking breakfast." His mom did make a mean breakfast. Then Crawford realized that it hadn't come out so well. Glancing at his niece Crawford grinned, "Well that..._and_ to see Hattie."

Graham laughed and nudged Charlotte. "He took an extra shift cause that _girl's_ working. That's why he's not going."

Huffing, Crawford rolled his eyes. "Her name is _Paige_ actually. So..."

Anne laughed at her youngest son and reached out for him. "Oh, he's just playing with you, Crawford."

"Is she ever gonna stop by while we're here? I'd love to meet her." Charlotte looked to her brother-in-law with a hopeful smile. She'd heard about the beach patrol-ess who had captured Crawford's heart. Apparently she was a girl version of him. Paige spent her time keeping an eye on the coast and had a bit of a reckless side. More adventurous than reckless, really. But she and Crawford went pretty hand in hand, and from what she'd heard Charlotte had a feeling Paige might be sticking around for a while.

"I was gonna bring her to dinner tonight." Crawford started to smile just thinking about it.

Nodding, Graham looked to Charlotte. "See, everything's all worked out. So come with me." He put on a cute grin that he knew she wouldn't be able to resist. "We'll sail down there now and meet everyone for dinner."

Charlotte didn't need a whole lot of time to think about her decision. "Okay. Yeah. I'll go."

It was settled. Charlotte and Graham were gonna set sail together and head for the Cape while the day turned over. It would be about a six hour trip, up to eight depending on the wind, but it would be time for them to forget about being parents and enjoy each other's company.

After breakfast, Crawford took off on his motorcycle and Graham made sure he and Charlotte had everything they'd need. He packed an extra set of sails in case they got a tear and told his wife to make sure to pack lots of layers. Anne and be expecting a sailing trip between her boys so she already had a small cooler of food ready to go. Mitch kept Hattie busy while the others got ready for the trip doing exactly what he knew best to do. He was telling her a story.

"You know the one about the famous young Dare, Hattie?" Mitchell knew she didn't know anything about Virginia Dare so he was gonna tell her. "Her mom and dad and a group of others came over the ocean in a _big_ boat headed for a new home." The grandfather made to sure to elaborate on the words he could with his facial expressions and small gestures. "They talked funny and drank a lot of tea, but they landed on these shores and made a home for themselves. Kinda like how we live here today." Mitch raised his eyebrows with a grin. "But she was still just a baby in her momma's belly when they came here and was the first person born on these banks. In all of America, actually." Mitch leaned close, "But something happened," he said with a lowered voice. "The whole town, the Roanoke Colony, disappeared." Not wanting to scare Hattie even though she didn't really understand what he was telling her, Mitch started to merge fact with fiction. "She was the only one who stayed behind. Somehow she managed to find a way to make this place her home." With a cute grin, Mitch squinted. "Why do you think our beach road is named after her?" Smiling, Mitch continued. "It's all because of a little girl who had the determination to stay on this land, were we live today. Pretty cool, huh?"

Charlotte had been listening to her father-in-law telling her daughter the story and walked up to them as he finished. "I like that story, Mitch." He'd told that to Charlotte one of the first trips she'd made to visit Graham's family.

Nodding Mitch grinned. "Me too."

"We're about to leave so I wanted to say bye."

"Oh sure, yeah." Graham's dad handed Hattie to Charlotte.

"You be good, alright?" Charlotte nuzzled her nose into Hattie's cheek and kissed her softly. "Daddy and I will see you later." Hearing foot steps behind her, Charlotte turned to see Graham walking their way.

Taking Hattie, Graham looked at the little girl with a smile. "When you get old enough I'll take you out, alright?" Looking at Charlotte, Graham couldn't help but laugh as he turned back to his daughter, "But from the look on Mom's face I think that won't be for a while."

Crossing her arms, Charlotte laughed. "I just...it makes me nervous."

A soft laugh fell from Graham's lips as he kissed Hattie's head. "Bye, minnow. Be good." Graham handed Hattie back to his dad and turned to his wife. "Ready?"

She was so they both headed out the door. They said bye to Graham's mom and then made their way to marina. Manteo was just across the bridge on the mainland side of town, and it was all quiet on the Roanoke Sound when they got the boat in the water. It wasn't crowded at all with only the whipping sails as their trip soundtrack. The breeze, while cold, was perfect and set them on a leisurely pace towards the southern end of the islands.

Charlotte and Graham both worked the sails and the knotts and it was like they'd been doing it for years. In reality they had. Together for over four years now, the duo were at home on the water and made everything about sailing seem easy. Their first two hours had been pretty simple. The rest of their trip seemed like it would be more of the same.

The boat tilted up on its side as the wind took a hold of its sails and Charlotte and Graham moved to the top side of the boat. It was something they'd been doing every so often. Each time the wind caught the sails they readied themselves for an exciting pass. They caught a breeze blowing the other direction and felt Banyan start to level out.

"Heads up." Graham knew the boom was about to swing in their direction.

Ducking, Charlotte couldn't help but laugh after they steadied in position.

Noticing Charlotte's smile, Graham pulled the slack from the main mast. "It would be cold too fall in this time of year, huh?"

The cold gray waters of the Pamlico Sound looked eerily chilly and Charlotte nodded. "We'd freeze." Her fingers were getting cold as it was and they weren't even wet.

Leaning over the side, Graham dipped his hand in the water and felt the temperature. He knew it was cold but couldn't help but splash it up towards Charlotte.

"Ah!" Throwing her hands in front of her face like some defense mechanism, Charlotte laughed. "Graham!"

"It's not that cold."

She felt him spray water towards her and she nodded. "Yes it is!" Charlotte wiped away the salty ocean that landed on her. "Stop." She wasn't upset but asking him nicely to quit it.

With the wind at his back, Graham submerged his hand again and loved the way the cold ocean wrapped around this skin. He dipped his other hand down and felt the cold water wash over his fingers.

In her protective mom mode, Charlotte crossed her arms with a smile. "You're gonna catch a cold if you get wet in this weather."

Pulling his hand out of the Atlantic, Graham looked to Charlotte and shrugged. "I'll be fine." He checked on the lines and knew they had a while to head in the direction they were going, so he looked to the cabin. "But if it makes you feel better we can go inside and warm up."

She opened the door before he finished his sentence. The small indoor cabin felt like another climate zone and the warmth made Charlotte's exposed skin tingle.

Graham shut the door when they both got inside and couldn't help but smile at his wife. "Better?"

Nodding, Charlotte sat down next to one of the small circular windows. "Much." She looked to the cooler that Mrs. McFarland had arranged for the trip. "Hungry?" Charlotte didn't wait on his response and started to go through their options.

While she looked over their options, Graham found himself looking over Charlotte. Nobody in the world looked at cute as she did all bundled up and red nosed. Nobody could handle the sea like she could, and nobody had his heart like she did. Hattie was a close runner up but Charlotte would always come out on top.

"So...turkey or ham?" Holding up two sandwich bags, Charlotte arched her brow at her husband. "I'll take either."

He wasn't feeling much of an appetite for lunch, but he couldn't deny the feeling of wanting something else. Graham scooted towards Charlotte and kissed her.

"Mmm...that wasn't an answer." Pulling away, the brown eyed sailorette smiled. "Turkey or ham?"

Taking the sandwiches from Charlotte, Graham tossed them back in the cooler. "Let's save those for later." He moved across her body and then pushed his chest against hers.

Knowing exactly what it was Graham wanted, Charlotte laughed as she laid back on the cushions. "Okay. We'll do lunch later, then." Her finger's fished through his hair as she pulled his lips to hers. "I'm not hungry either."

Graham laughed against the warm skin of Charlotte's cheek and started to work on her clothes. The swaying ocean wasn't providing an easy setting but they were gonna make it work. Charlotte knew they had a little time to kill though. She'd put on so many layers that it would take them a while to get down to the bare minimum. But before they got that far something else stopped them.

Somewhere by her hip, Charlotte felt his icy touch and let out a breathy surprise.

Not sure if her sudden coil was a good thing or bad, Graham pulled away. "What is it?"

Laughing, Charlotte looked to him. "You're hands. They're freezing."

He hadn't noticed and looked down. "Sorry."

"It's okay." It wasn't enough to stop them, it had only surprised her. "...it's okay." Charlotte kissed Graham and wanted to finish what they'd started. That was her plan until she felt his fingers on her skin again. "Ah...jeeze." She coiled away from his touch and shook her head. "Honey, you're hands are so cold it hurts."

Graham stopped kissing Charlotte and pulled away. He looked at his hands wanting to scold them for not cooperating. "They'll warm up." Leaning back towards his wife, the Coastie was sure that the burning in his chest would quickly reach his fingers.

As soon as his hands hit any portion of uncovered skin, Charlotte instantly pulled away. Even if she hadn't wanted to it was a natural reaction. "Wait...Graham, I can't...this isn't."

"Working..." He finished her sentence and started to sit up.

Charlotte closed her eyes and shook her head, "I'm sorry."

Looking to Charlotte, Graham shook his head. "Don't apologize. It's not you. I shouldn't have gotten my hands wet." He laughed and looked at his wife with a befuddled grin. "We can't catch a break, huh?"

If it wasn't Hattie interrupting them, it seemed like something was determined to. "I know." Laughing, Charlotte nodded.

Graham took a deep breath and looked to the cooler and pulled out the two sandwiches. He held them out to Charlotte with a smile. "So...turkey or ham?"

Reaching for the closest one, Charlotte took the sandwich with a smile. "I love you."

"I love you, too." He nodded at her while he opened up the sandwich bag.

No matter the weather, the time, or the place; that would always remain the same. Even though life seemed to have a plan to kept the two of them apart physically, that simple fact would never alter. The tide would rise, the wind would change its course but Charlotte would always love Graham and he would always love her. It was that simple. Over the next few hours Charlotte and Graham took in the sights that the Pamlico offered. They passed Bodie Island, Pea Island and its famous white birds. The McFarlands headed outside the cabin and watched the winged sea staples fly low to the shore and soar above the sand. The birds epitomized grace. The cold air didn't seem to deter them any as they flew across the dunes.

"Can you see it?"

Looking to where Graham was pointing, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "What?"

"The lighthouse." Glancing into the distance, Graham new that one of Hatteras most famous landmarks would be coming into view soon. The stories behind that old structure were plenty and deep. A historical landmark for the Coast Guard and for the country, Graham knew Charlotte would enjoy what he had planned for her.

"Which direction?" Charlotte was still eyeing the shoreline looking for the lighthouse.

"Right there." Through the cold gray sky and as the December smog started to ease off, Graham pointed to the lighthouse across the water.

She'd seen it before. That lighthouse had always served as a welcome to Hatteras sign, but seeing it from the water was something else. Its contrasting colors and stripes made the old thing burst with nostalgia and Charlotte couldn't help but smile. They were there. They'd made it to Hatteras.

Since they were on the sound side of the Atlantic, Graham would have easy water access to the small docks and headed that way. "We've got about an hour until everyone meets us at the restaurant. I figured we can walk around." His mom and dad were driving down with the trailer and wouldn't be at the lookout for a while, so Charlotte and Graham had some time to kill.

A small private plane headed towards Hatteras' Billy Mitchell Airport buzzed in the sky and Charlotte glanced from the plane to her husband. "That's fine."

Once they pulled ashore Graham tied up the boat and took a hold of Charlotte's hand as they walked toward the vacant tourist attraction. "Come on..." Graham took a hold of Charlotte's hand and tilted his head toward the towering structure. "You'll love the view."

"_Up_ there? " Charlotte looked to the top of the lighthouse they were walking to and laughed. "Isn't it closed in the off season? We can't just..._go_ in there. That's..._trespassing_." She knew she might enjoy the view but she also knew that she didn't want to go to jail. This was a national historic site, there was probably high security or something like that.

Graham laughed at his wife. She always underestimated the power of the uniform. He wasn't even in his full get-up but the fact that she was wearing his jacket would be more than enough, not to mention the fact that his parents were good friends with the locals who kept up the landmark.

Charlotte looked up to the striped tower in front of her and it seemed so much taller up close than it had from a distance. On the sea the lighthouse seemed quaint and picturesque. Right now it looked a little daunting.

Graham could tell that Charlotte was worried about the height so he turned to her with a reassuring nod. "The stairs aren't bad, and the view makes up for it."

She trusted him and nodded as they walked toward the lighthouse. An older gentlemen saw the couple approaching and unlocked the entrance. She realized there would be no breaking and entering and leaned close to Graham's side. "Did you plan all of this?"

"No. Not really." He hadn't gone to any great length to get them up there, it just kind of happened. Thanks to some well timed connections, Graham was able to do it. "Thanks, Mr. Buxton."

"Oh, no problem. You tell your dad we've enjoyed all of the rockers we got from him." Mr. Buxton was greatly appreciative of the business he'd done with Mr. McFarland. Mitch made the best hand crafted rocking chairs around and Mr. Buxton knew that the Cape visitors loved sitting in them as they took in Hatteras' beauty.

"I will. Thank you for opening her up for us."

"Sure, sure. Watch your step and enjoy the view."

Graham nodded and quickly introduced Charlotte to his father's friend before the couple made their way to the top. The trek up wasn't easy but somehow she knew it would be worth it. Charlotte had Graham encouraging her the whole way up and something about the old iron staircase made the journey more appealing. The sounds of the creaking steps and the howl of the wind made her that much more eager to see what it looked like at the top. In all their visits he'd never taken her here. Probably due to its popularity in the summertime, but right now it was perfect. Just the two of them and a whole lot of history with each and every step.

The door leading to the outside was heavy so Graham had to use his body weight to pull it open. The cold air was the first thing Charlotte noticed but then she took a step onto the landing. "Wow."

Twelve stories up and Graham took in the beauty. "It's really something, right?"

Looking towards the ocean, Charlotte stepped up to the edge and held onto the railing. "Yeah. It is."

Graham stepped behind Charlotte and kissed the side of her head. They took in the view and the serenity of the time and place.

Turning into Graham's chest, she leaned into his warm body. "And what's the story with this one?"

He glanced toward the breaking waves and smiled. "The true story?"

"Any story."

He knew the one he could tell her. It wasn't something Graham made up but a true tale from Cape itself. Taking a deep breath, Graham wrapped his hands around her waist and looked out to the ocean. "They say you can see him." Pointing at a mound of sand, Graham nodded, "Just beyond that dune he walks through the sand with a transparency only the locals can see. His name is Sailor Gray and his ship wrecked just out there." Graham pointed to his left towards a sandbar hidden beneath the tide. "His ship was found abandoned. The life rafts were gone..."

Charlotte laughed and furrowed her brow. "Is this a scary story?"

Graham shook his head. "Ugh-uh." He laughed a little and continued, "Sailor Gray's ghost walks up and down these shores. He warns the locals of the coming storms. Before each major hurricane that has ever hit Hatteras, someone's said they've seen him. It's either Sailor Gray or a rare brown pelican."

"A brown pelican?" Charlotte knew that color bird wasn't the norm.

Nodding, Graham shrugged, "Yeah, that one is not as common as the old sailor but he's supposed to show up when trouble is ahead." Looking to the water, Graham shook his head. "I've never seen that one. Dad said he's seen Sailor Gray, though."

"Really?"

With a small laugh, Graham nodded. "So he says. Before Hurricane Floyd hit the coast Dad was down here and saw the Sailor. He left and got out of harms way." Charlotte and Graham both looked to the shore for a silent moment and Graham turned to the lighthouse behind him. "I guess you could call Sailor Gray the keeper of the light. They should probably etch his name on the stones down there." Graham pointed to an area of stones where the lighthouse originaly stood. Engraved on the rocks were all of the names of the men who had been the keeper of the light. Their main mission was to keep sailors safe. Sailor Gray was essentially doing the same thing.

Nodding, Charlotte agreed, "This story kinda sounds like the man in the moon." She turned around to face her husband and took a deep breath. Sailor Gray seemed to keep the locals safe while the man in the moon controlled the stars for lost sailors to find their way home.

"What's wrong?" Graham could tell that Charlotte's mind had gone elsewhere and that place painted worry all over her face.

"I just...it scares me, you know?"

"The story? I haven't see his _actual_ ghost, I'm sure it's an old wives tale, Charlotte." Graham took her hands in his and shook his head.

She shook her head and slowly shrugged, "It's not that. It's all these things that happen. The storms and the tide... I worry that one of these days..." Charlotte didn't want to say what she was thinking and simply shook her head with a shrug.

"Nothing's gonna happen to me, Charlotte." He kissed the top of her head and pulled her into a hug. "I won't let it." Graham held her tight. "I promise."

It was really nice to hear him say that but Charlotte knew that Graham couldn't be certain of anything. Life as a rescue swimmer was dangerous, life on the water was dangerous. Everything about Graham was dangerous, and that's what had Charlotte worried. But if Graham was sure that things would work out, then she could breathe easy.

But while the twosome enjoyed their view and their time, a certain brown pelican was heading their way. Trouble was on the horizon and it was just a matter of time before something bad happened. It could be weeks, it could be years; either way Charlotte and Graham were in for rough waters ahead. Literally, figuratively, it was all the same. The brown bird would make its way to them one way or another.

**OTHOTH**

**So...if it wasn't clear, there is some drama ahead for Charlotte and Graham. But aside from that small matter this chapter provided a bit of fluff with some familiar faces who hadn't been mentioned in a while. I'd wanted to include Hattie's first cold and thought about (and tried) to include it as a flashback but it just didn't work well. I am and have all good intentions of including that somewhere in the story at some point. Next chapter I may jump to June and get the ball rolling towards all this drama. That means I'll skip over Hattie's first bday, but I am about 90% positive that it's gonna be in Sawyer's next chapter. So I won't skip over it entirely.**

**My reviewers, you guys rock. Thank you so much for the support! It really means the world!**

**Nebraska1234: I'm guessing you were pretty happy to read about how Sawyer's hurricane debacle turned out in her story since it was teased about in this last chapter. I really appreciate the feedback!**

**Sara: Thanks so much for the review! I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**2old4oth: Ha, yeah, the misunderstood text from Sawyer was very much like the Mouth one in season 4. I'm sure that popped into my subconscious when I was writing. About a Sawyer and Ben bedside reunion...you'll have to stay tuned to her story to see how that all goes down. Charlotte is most certainly like her mom in that she worries all the time. I think she's even more of a worrier now since she's a mom...and has so much more to worry about- and she's stubborn like you mentioned. I enjoyed writing the Nathan and Hattie stuff. Something about him with babies is always fun to write. As always, I appreciate the review!**

**Anonymoususer: You're very welcome for the replies. I enjoy replying back to my readers. About Charlotte being a worrier, yeah, that's just her nature- very much like Haley. The funeral in TN will be brought up later and whose it is will be disclosed at a later date. I'm glad you imagine Hattie as a beautiful girl from what I've written so far. I like the "water voice" as well. There is nothing like listening to a steady calming rain. Sawyer's fate will be left up to be known in her story and if you've read her latest chapter you know (kinda) her prognosis. The man in the moon story in its entirety will be told in a few chapters down the road. As this story indicates it probably will be bad. I appreciate the review!**

**Joan: I'm glad you thought the CG fight was believable. Ha, yeah, Sawyer getting hurt was probably a blindside in the last chapter. She was probably the last person people expected to get hurt. Like a told another reviewer, a Bawyer bedside reunion will be (or might not be) featured in Sawyer's fic. Gotta wait for next chapter to see if it happens. Thank you so much for the review!**

**Anon: Bhaha...at your comment about there being craters instead of holes in the story. Ha, that made me laugh. I hope you enjoy how it all plays out. I appreciate the feedback!**

**Review Please!  
**


	24. I've Got News

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 24: I've Got News**

**Disclaimer: Knock knock? Who's there? Iva. Iva, who? Iva got-nothing-to-do-with-OTH.**

**A/N: Hey, guys. After having a rough academic week last week, I started this one off with computer problems...you know how it goes. I stand up to fall down. But, things with the computer are temporarily fixed. So here's the new Charlotte chapter. Hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte pulled into her parents' driveway and glanced at the rear view mirror. Slumped over in the car seat, Hattie had fallen asleep on the short drive from home to Nathan and Haley's. With a half wince and half smile because the seventeen month old girl looked so cute, Charlotte hoped it wouldn't spell disaster for her parents later. On rare occasion Hattie made up her own nap schedule and apparently this was one of those days. That could mean trouble for Charlotte's parents. A one and a half year old off of her normal schedule may mean Nathan and Haley could be in for a long night. They were keeping Hattie while Charlotte and Graham celebrated a milestone. It wasn't an anniversary or a birthday. Graham was being promoted from Lieutenant to Lieutenant Commander of the 5th Division of the United States Coast Guard.

Graham didn't think it was anything worth celebrating, but Charlotte did. Even the Coast Guard did. They were having a change of command ceremony in about thirty minutes, and the couple was going to make a night of it. It wasn't going to be nearly as extravagant of an event as it would be if the Admiral was changing personnel, but the promotion was certainly worth noting.

After the ceremony, the McFarland couple were going to go have a nice dinner and drinks with their Coast Guard family. Drew, Trevor, Ben; everyone was going to show up to support Graham and toast him for his achievements, mixing in funny stories and jovial conversation. For the thirty-one and twenty-eight year old, it was going to be nice to get out and have a night with friends. They loved Hattie more than anything, but getting out and spending time as a young couple without worrying about baby monitors and Balmex would be a nice change.

When the young mom opened up her car door, she felt the cool breeze of September sweep across her skin. Charlotte quietly got Hattie's car seat away from her Audi wagon and headed toward the front door of her childhood home.

Haley met her youngest at the door with a smile and a silent gesture to come inside.

"Hey", Charlotte whispered. "She fell asleep in the car."

Seeing Hattie's sweet face as Charlotte walked by, Haley smiled. "That's okay. I'm sure she'll be good." After experiencing the ill effects of messed up schedules when Jamie and Charlotte were growing up, Haley knew she and Nathan might have a fussy little thing on their hands. But it wouldn't be too bad. Either way the night ended, Hattie was cute enough that it probably wouldn't matter.

Charlotte put down the car seat and started to un-buckle the straps as her father came down the stairs. Slipping the strap off Hattie's shoulder, the brunette looked to her mom. "I'll probably be back here tomorrow about nine or nine thirty to get her."

Haley nodded, listening to Charlotte as she picked up Hattie. That's when Haley saw those massive brown eyes start to slowly open. "Hey, you." The little girl was in a tired daze and rested her head against her grandmother's shoulder.

Nathan made his way towards his three girls and smiled. "Was she asleep?" He looked at his youngest grandchild and put his hand on her back. "Hey, Hat. You excited to stay with us?"

Nodding, Charlotte slipped her purse over her shoulder answering her dad's first question. "Yeah, she was out after thirty seconds in the car."

Haley rested her chin on Hattie's soft hair and grinned. "Well I bet she'll start to liven up soon." Softening her voice Haley, looked to Nathan and whispered into Hattie's ear. "Your grandpa's been dying to play with you all day."

Charlotte couldn't help but smile because she knew it was the truth. Her dad was the best of the best when it came to grandfatherly roles. Nathan had a certain affinity for playing with his grandchildren. Whether it be Bennet, Claire, or Hattie, he'd drop whatever he was doing to entertain them. It was actually pretty cute. But Charlotte's sweet thoughts about how good her dad was with his grand kids was interrupted when she realized the time. "I better go." She made sure she had her keys and brushed her finger's lightly through Hattie's brown hair. "Be good, baby. I'll see you tomorrow."

Haley turned her body so Charlotte could see Hattie's face and watched her daughter kiss the little one's head.

"Bye, Char. Have fun and tell Graham congratulations."

The young mom smiled and knew that her father's words would have multiple meanings. Soon they'd hear the news too, but before she blabbed it to her folks, Charlotte wanted to tell her husband. They'd be celebrating more than Graham's promotion tonight.

"Bye." Charlotte said goodbye to her parents and headed back outside to her car. It didn't take her long to get to the base and she was pulling up to the gate before she knew it. Finding a place to park, Charlotte made her way over to the main hanger and saw the rows of chairs that were quickly filling up.

"Charlotte, over here." A familiar face waved Charlotte over towards the front of the hanger and pointed at a seat.

Walking over to Emily, Charlotte sat down next to Trevor's new bride and smiled. "Thank you. For a minute there I thought I was gonna be standing in the back."

Laughing with a shake of her head, Emily arched her brow. "You? No, of course you have a good seat. You're gonna want a good view of Graham."

That was true. Graham was going to be dressed in his formal blue uniform with his cap and all the other bells and whistles. He'd even gotten his hair cut so he would be looking extra sharp for the ceremony. All of the officers who were being promoted would be walking onto stage where the small audience of Coasties and their immediate families would watch them get new insignias and patches on their uniforms. For most part, it would be a boring event that wasn't much to write home about, but for Charlotte, it would send a fiery rush of pride to the depth of her soul. Graham wasn't just some guy who was climbing up the ranks. He was _her_ guy.

After a few more minutes of people finding their seats, one of the top officers of the 5th Division walked over to the microphone and welcomed the audience. The general formalities and introductions were made, and then, after ten or so minutes, names started being called. There were about twelve individuals who were being recognized, and Graham was number six on the list.

Just to the side of the stage, the young and newly minted Lieutenant Commander was waiting for his name to be called. He looked at his white glove covered hands and fiddled with the material between his fingers. Graham had never been big on praise or adoration. He was a rescue swimmer because he loved doing what he did. He'd swim in the coldest sea and darkest water if it meant he could save a life. He did what he did because he truly enjoyed it. Most of the guys did. The promotion and upgraded rank were nice, and the pay raise made things even nicer, but a ceremony wasn't necessary. He'd rather be on the chopper or on the boat looking out for the next save or crisis he could help subdue.

"Next we want to next recognize the hard work of one our outstanding rescue swimmers..." The emcee of the ceremony went on to describe Graham's role at the base.

Gtraham tugged on his jacket and looked down to his shinny black shoes as the man spoke. At best, he felt awkward and nervous as he gathered himself to take the stage. While the man continued to go through the reasons Graham was being awarded with the title of Lieutenant Commander, the thirty-one year old found himself smiling as he caught a glimpse of Charlotte sitting close to the front row. She was beautiful. She wasn't even trying, but the way she was sitting with a sweet grin on her cheeks and a rosy blush on her skin made Graham's heart beat faster and harder than any medal or insignia ever would allow. He loved that brown-eyed Scott girl more than he could piece together.

The emcee's voice broke Graham from his quick stare when his name was called.

Charlotte saw a man dressed in a blue uniform walk from behind the stage. It was probably a good thing she was sitting because that outfit and his grin when they locked eyes was nearly enough to make her knees give out. Graham McFarland was a good looking guy, but Graham McFarland in a uniform; that was an entirely different kind of handsome.

Graham walked across the stage and shook Admiral Langston's hand as the older man pinned on his new rank. The little metal piece didn't mean a whole lot to most people, and Graham wanted to think he didn't care about the accomplishment, but he did. The whole room applauded and stood as the young Lieutenant Commander saluted and stood next to the others who were being recognized.

He was standing in the most cavalier way when Charlotte caught his eye again. Something in their stare made Charlotte want Graham to get off that stage as fast as he could. The atmosphere had her excited and Charlotte knew their night would only get better, and she was pretty sure her news would trump anything he got from the Coast Guard.

The rest of the ceremony went as planned and after the others were acknowledged, Charlotte fished her way through the crowd over to her husband.

He saw her coming from a distance and took off his hat just before she made her way to him. "Hey." Graham smiled at Charlotte when she got close and noticed how her Clothes Over Bro's dress fit her body perfectly.

"Congratulations." Charlotte stepped next to her husband and placed a chaste kiss on his lips. "I'm so proud of you, Graham."

He shook his head to shrug it off and smiled at her. "You look beautiful."

Those words coming out of his mouth with him dressed in that uniform made Charlotte's blush. "Thank you." There was a kindness in her eyes and she turned her head towards the cars. "I was thinking before we head downtown we could drop by the house and leave one car. We don't need to take..."

"Graham! There you are. Are you ready to celebrate?" Trevor came up behind Graham and shook his shoulders with a gregarious expression.

Turning toward his Coastie friend, Graham nodded. "Yeah. Charlotte and I were gonna head to the house really quick. We'll meet y'all downtown."

"Alright, we'll see you there." Trevor patted Graham on the back and walked away with Emily.

Knowing that Graham was on board with the idea of heading downtown in one car, the duo made their way outside. As soon as Charlotte got in her car, her phone started to ring, and she smiled at the name on the screen. "Hellooo?" She let her word linger as she grinned wider.

Graham laughed and looked at the line of cars backed up trying to leave the base. If there was anyone he wanted to talk to who could make traffic a little better, it was Charlotte. "Hey. Just thought I'd call."

"So I assumed." Charlotte laughed and backed out of her parking spot to get into the line of leaving cars. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"How was Hattie when you left her with your parents?"

"Asleep. She fell asleep on the way there but started to wake up."

Nodding, Graham looked to his side view mirror and could see Charlotte's car behind him. "And what about you? What did you do today?"

"Well...Hattie and I went to pick up my dress from Aunt Brooke, then we ran to the grocery store to get dog food for Mack." Charlotte tried to think of what the rest of her day had been consumed with. "Um...oh, ha... Sawyer came by and Hattie chased her around the house. It was pretty hysterical."

"She's getting fast, huh?" Graham knew that their daughter had mastered her footing over the last few months. Ever since her first step Hattie had been mastering her craft.

"Uh-huh. She'll probably be a fast swimmer too."

"Maybe. Probably. I'll get her in your parents' pool this spring, and we'll see if she's got any Coastie in her." Graham laughed as he said it but he had a feeling that Hattie would be a natural in the water. He didn't call her Minnow without reason.

As Graham referenced the upcoming spring, Charlotte knew they'd be juggling more than teaching their little one how to swim come March. "You know what I was thinking about?"

"Mmm?"

"The Diligence Dash." Charlotte let off the brake as the cars moved up in line and she smiled. "You ran pretty well this year."

He had, but Graham knew Charlotte's memory hadn't been jogged by his run. It was someone else's feet she'd been referring too.

_The sticky June humidity was clinging to Charlotte's t-shirt, and she was breaking a sweat like she was actually running in the annual 5-K. She wasn't, but the sweltering temperature sure made her feel like she was. Rolling the stroller over to the medic tent, Charlotte wasn't in need of medical attention but headed over to see a friend and stand in the shade._

_The auburn haired nurse who'd been dating Ben for close to two months was working as a volunteer medic. Annie and Charlotte had been friends since Sawyer's hurricane hospital scare back in October, and even the opinionated music lover seemed to like Ben's new squeeze. He'd moved back to town, taken a liking to Annie, and for all intents and purposes, she was part of their group now. Annie Marks was someone who was probably sticking around like mosquitoes in a Southern summer._

_Smiling as the young mom approached her, Annie waved. "Hey."_

"_Hey." Charlotte kicked the brakes on Hattie's stroller and sighed. "It's horrible in this heat. I don't see how the guys are running."_

_Glancing down at Hattie, Annie looked to Charlotte. "I've got a few waters if you want one."_

"_Oh, sure. That'd be great." Charlotte had been fully prepared for the morning with sippy cups and a tiny little cooler tucked in the basket of the stroller, but she wasn't going to turn down the offer._

"_So how long does this thing normally take?" Annie handed Charlotte the water with a wondering question._

"_Not too long. Ben may take a while, though." Charlotte couldn't help but laugh and shrugged, "But I don't know? Another fifteen minutes and the runners will start crossing the finish line?"_

_Before they knew it, fifteen minutes flew by and the two women heard the announcement telling them the first runner was closing in on the home stretch. Charlotte walked away from the medical tent and made her way towards the finish line. Graham wouldn't be first but he'd turn in a good time, and she wanted to meet him at the end. "Let's go wait for Daddy, Hat."_

_Charlotte watched various runners raise their arms in triumph as they finished the 5-K, and as she turned to look toward the sea of athletes running down the pavement, Charlotte saw Graham. He was planning on finishing strong and had a sexy look of determination dripping off his face._

"_Go, Graham!" Charlotte couldn't help but cheer him on as he ran towards the finish._

_Hearing that familiar voice, Graham spotted her face in the crowd and smiled her way as he pushed through the last little bit of his run. A volunteer handed him a drink, and he tossed back a mouthful of Gatorade letting his tired muscles take a break. People were all over the place but the only two he was concerned with were walking right for him._

"_Dada!" Hattie started kicking her legs in her stroller and pointed at Graham when Charlotte rolled her close enough._

"_Hey..." Graham reached down for Hattie and took her in his arms. "What'd you think, minnow? You want to run with me next year?" He kissed the little girl on her cheek and grinned as he looked to Charlotte. Lowering his voice, Graham couldn't help but joke, "Better you than Mom. We ran this thing together a couple years ago. It was bad."_

"_It was not..." Charlotte knew he was just saying it to say it, but cut her eyes in a playful way. She took a few steps closer to her husband and shrugged, "You did well, though." She leaned in for a kiss and could taste the orange Gatorade that lingered on his lips._

_He nodded at Charlotte and then raised his eyebrows, "So what's the plan? Are we obligated to go to our annual Mexican lunch since Sawyer's not here?"_

_Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. Every year after the Diligence Dash, Charlotte and Graham, Sawyer, and whoever she was with at the time ended up driving to K-38 for mid-day margarita's, but that plan was kaput since the one who initiated the ritual was up in Massachusetts. "We're free to do whatever."_

_Graham nodded and looked to their daughter. "Well what do you want to do, Hattie?"_

"_Mack."_

_It had been her first word a few months ago and it seemed it was now her favorite. Smiling, Graham knew he could meet her request. "Home sounds good to me, too."_

_Home was a perfect destination for Charlotte as well as the three McFarlands headed to the car. After running into a few people between the finish line and the car, Charlotte, Graham, and Hattie made their way home and into air conditioning._

_The golden retriever met the couple and their child at the door, and Hattie's big brown eyes lit up. "Mack. Mack. Mack. Mack. Mack..."_

_Charlotte laughed at Hattie's repetition and looked to her husband as they walked inside. "Some days I'm jealous of our dog." Hattie could say mama, but it wasn't Hattie's go to word._

_Understanding Charlotte's conclusion, Graham nodded. "Me, too." He had Hattie in his arms and walked into the living room and sat down with her on the floor. He needed to take a shower but wanted to play with Hattie until she was ready for lunch and a nap. "Alright, minnow..." Graham tore off his registration sticker from his stomach and patted it against Hattie's belly. "You're turn to run, now." At least that was what Graham was hoping. They'd been working with Hattie to get those little feet moving across the floor, but the little girl seemed content on other modes of transportation.  
_

_Hattie with Graham's running sticker on was priceless. Charlotte immediately wanted to get a picture and whipped out her phone to snap a quick one. She held out her phone but saw that the screen was black. "Oh, no. My battery's dead." Charlotte hurried to grab the real camera and left Graham with Hattie._

"_Hold that pose, Hattie. Mom's gotta get a picture." Graham stood the little one up and felt Hattie grab onto his fingers for support. Then suddenly she wasn't holding on anymore. He'd turned around after Charlotte called out about not finding the camera but turned to look at Hattie. She was standing up by herself with those massive brown eyes looking right at him. "Are you gonna walk?" Graham was genuinely asking the question with a tone of excitement. He scooted back and waved Hattie over. "Come on. You got it."_

_Hattie had been able to stand on her own for a while but hadn't taken those coveted first steps yet. She was about too, though._

_Graham watched the little girl wobble a little as she decided what she was going to do. "Cha...Charlotte! Come here." Quickly calling out for his wife, Graham didn't take his eyes away from the girl. "Now. Charlotte, now!" He didn't want her to miss the big event because it looked like it was about to happen._

_Charlotte was in the bedroom looking around for the camera but couldn't find it. She was sure the last place she saw it was in there but apparently she'd been wrong. Her name rang through the house and Charlotte picked up the pillows on the bed as if for some reason the camera crawled under there to hide. "Hold on. I wanna get the camera."_

_Right now the camera wasn't what she needed to be focused on. Graham wanted in to see this. "Charlotte. Hattie's about to..."_

_There were a million ways the finish his sentence and Charlotte didn't think much of it._

_A few moments in life had taken Graham's breath away. The first time he jumped out of a helicopter, the first time he saw Charlotte, the day she walked down the aisle, that instant she told him they were pregnant, Hattie's birth, and now... Now Graham was in the middle of having another one of those moments. Hattie picked up her foot and moved it in front of her. "You...you..." Graham was at a loss but the shatter from behind him told Graham he hadn't been the only one to see it._

_So much for the camera. Charlotte had found it sitting right where it was supposed to be on the dresser and came out of the bedroom just in time. But what she'd stumbled upon made her drop what she was doing. Literally. Hattie had been standing in front of her husband and then out of nowhere took her first step. The camera didn't stand a chance and Charlotte's sudden bewilderment and shock sent it soaring towards the hardwood. The crack of the screen was loud and unsettling, and for the little girl who'd just put one foot in front of the other, it scared her._

_Hattie's face started to contort and those big brown eyes welled with tears._

"_Oh my God..." Charlotte wasn't sure what to do or say. Her daughter had just walked, the camera was broken on the floor, and she was standing in the middle of the living room in an absolute daze._

_Graham reached out for Hattie as she started to cry and shook his head. "No, no. It's okay. You're okay." Pulling the fourteen month old close, Graham laughed, "You just walked, minnow."_

_Charlotte felt her throat go dry and she walked up behind Graham. "I can't believe it." Kneeling down, her brown eyes looked into matching ones. "You walked, Hattie." With a cute laugh, Charlotte shook her head, "And I broke the camera."_

_As first time parents they really didn't know what to make of what had just happened. Charlotte and Graham were at a loss but it was an excited loss. They'd never imagined her first steps playing out like this._

_Graham reached behind him for the busted screen camera and pressed the power button. It came on and he nodded. "Let's get that picture." He put Hattie down and let her stand on her own._

_Smiling, Charlotte nodded with a small tear in her eye. "How big is Hattie?" She held up her arms with a sweet grin. "Sooo big."_

_Hattie did as her mom did and held up her hands with an adorable smile. Those big brown doe eyes lit up and the picture that popped up on the screen was one everyone in the family would be getting._

When Charlotte's car dipped as she pulled next to the house, their memory had been stirred. The conversation about what had gone on after the Diligence Dash ended as Graham pulled into the driveway behind Charlotte's car. They were still on the phone and Graham heard Charlotte's voice.

"I'm gonna grab a sweater in case the restaurant's cold."

"Alright. I'll be here." He put his car in park and knew it wouldn't take her long to get in the house and find what she needed.

Charlotte hurried into the bedroom and saw the two blinking messages on the machine, and played them as she fished through her closet to grab a cardigan.

"Hey, it's me. Sorry I haven't called to congratulate you yet. I know. Worst sister award, but I'm proud of you, Graham. Lieutenant Commander, huh? Pretty crazy, but if you ask me I think we all knew this was coming. You're one of the best. Don't forget that. " Graham's sister's voice cut off and a young boy's took over. "Way to go, Uncle Graham!" Lane's voice came back on and she laughed. "See, you've got the whole family excited..." More background noise broke Lane's train of thought and she sighed. "I gotta run, but I love you, I'm proud of you, and I'll call you back later so I can actually _speak_ with you. Bye."

Charlotte walked into her closet as the other message came on.

"Charlotte? Hi, it's Betty from the high school. The ladies in the office and I are just dying for you to get back to work. If you're not ready or don't want to come back full time we understand. We'll keep an open sub-spot you though. You know your welcome anytime. We miss you. Tell Graham hello, and give Hattie a kiss from us all."

Picking up her sweater, Charlotte hit the answering machine again and headed outside. She got into the car next to her husband and smiled. "Lane called. She says congrats on the promotion. Harrison, too."

Nodding, Graham grinned. "That was nice of them."

"Mmm-huh."

Backing out of the driveway, Graham asked if there were any other messages. "Anybody else have a dire message?"

"Betty." Charlotte laughed a little. "She and the other ladies at the school are hoping I get back to work soon."

"You should. You love teaching." Graham was with Betty and the other women who worked in the front office of the high school.

That was true but Charlotte didn't think going back to work was what she wanted. Not now, at least. The timing was off. "Maybe I can sub a little."

"You don't want to teach full time?"

His question made Charlotte's cheeks roast with a fiery temperature. "It's not that I don't want to. I...can't."

"What?" He laughed with a little bit of confusion in his tone. "What do you mean?"

They'd slowed to a stop sign and Charlotte took a deep breath. She turned her body toward Graham and reached out for his hand. "I can't teach _now_ because I'll have to take some time off in the _spring_..." She started to smile and shrugged. "I don't really think that's fair to the students or me, really..."

"Spring?" Graham wasn't catching on quickly. "That's months away..."

"I know."

His green eyes met her brown ones and he could see the answers to his questions in those deep chocolate orbs of hers. "Wait..." Graham started to immediately figure out what she'd been trying to say. All of the subtle clues began to fall into place. "You're pregnant?"

Letting out a sweet laugh, Charlotte nodded and brought his hand up to her chin with a nod. "I'm pregnant."

Graham leaned over the console and kissed Charlotte. "You are? Really?"

"Yeah..." Eleven weeks in and she felt perfect. Charlotte bit her lip and smiled. She'd already gone to the doctor's and their thumbs up made her sure. "I'm due in March."

Feeling his chest swell, Graham looked to the woman sitting next to him and simply shook his head. They were pregnant again. It was perfect. The age gap between Hattie and the new baby would be perfect and he knew that they were ready for a second. It wasn't going to be easy, but they would make it work. They always did. "I love you."

Charlotte smiled and leaned over to kiss him again. "I love you, too."

The two found themselves lost in the moment and it wasn't until Charlotte's phone started to ring that they were taken away from their pregnancy bliss.

"Hello?"

"Where are you? We've been waiting for half an hour." Sawyer's tone was unforgiving and annoyed.

"Sorry, sorry. We're on our way." Charlotte laughed into her phone and winced. "I'm sorry we got caught up."

Sawyer arched her brow as she looked around the restaurant. "Mmm-huh. That's just Charlotte code for something dirty."

"I'll never tell." Charlotte started to smirk and looked to her husband. "We'll be there in five minutes." Charlotte hung up on Sawyer and turned to Graham. "They're waiting on us."

Graham was still stopped at the stop signed and put the Tahoe in park. He grinned from ear to ear and shook his head. "They can wait longer. You're pregnant..." He leaned over towards her and kissed Charlotte. "We're having another baby. I'd rather celebrate that than me." Graham looked to her belly kissed Charlotte again.

They'd spend the next few minutes relishing in their own celebration and walk into dinner a little late. Sawyer and the rest of them could deal with the time issue. As far as Charlotte and Graham were concerned, their timing was just perfect.

**OTHOTH**

**5 months**

Charlotte woke up as the early morning November sun started to shine through the bedroom window. She rolled over in bed as best as her belly would allow and smiled when she saw Graham. He was awake and as soon as her round stomach rubbed up against him, he put one of his hands over her bump.

Leaning her head against her pillow, Charlotte smiled, "Morning." She let out a yawn midway through her word and laughed at her exhaustion. Seemed a certain little guy was taking after his Aunt Sawyer. Last night the baby had a severe case of nighttime karate and kept Charlotte up until the early hours of the morning.

"If you wanna sleep a little longer, you can. I'll get up with Hattie." The little girl wasn't awake yet, but it would only be a matter of time.

Charlotte loved that Graham was willing to let her get some rest, but she was morning person and always had been. Sleeping late had never been something she'd done often so she shook her head. "I'm fine." She shuffled her feet beneath the covers and grimaced. "But you can swap ankles with me." Charlotte laughed at her request because she knew how absurd it sounded.

Peaking under the covers, Graham raised his brow, "Are they already swelling?"

Maybe. Probably. Nodding, Charlotte couldn't really tell but had a feeling her feet would start to hurt as the day lingered on. Since month four her ankles seemed to reject the whole idea of another pregnancy. They'd swell with each passing hour and balloon to epic proportions by the time she'd slide into bed at night. Considering the little guy had Charlotte walking off insomnia last night, her ankles were doing overtime.

Graham knew there wasn't a lot he could do to ease her feet but he'd offer what he could. "Want me to rub 'em?"

"They'll be fine. I'll just lay here a little longer and stay off my feet as long as I can today." Charlotte knew Graham was trying to help so she thanked him for his support. "Thanks, though."

Rolling closer to his wife, Graham ran his hand over her entire belly. "Swollen ankles or not, I think you wear pregnancy well." He kissed the side of her head and moved his hand over her stomach. "But he's an active little guy, huh?"

"Mmm-huh. I can already see him playing on the Rivercourt with my dad."

Smiling, Graham knew his father-in-law would enjoy having another grandson. "When are we gonna tell everyone? That we're having a boy, I mean?" They'd only just recently found out that baby number two was a boy and that was news only between the two of them right now.

"I don't know? Soon. Mom called me yesterday and wanted me to come by the house today so I can tel my parents then?"

Graham thought that was a good idea. Maybe he'd even call his parents before he headed to work to share the latest development. "That'll work."

Just as they were starting up their morning conversation, Charlotte and Graham heard Hattie. The Coastie got out of bed to get nineteen month old and Charlotte laid in the covers in the comfortable stillness of the bedroom. "Hey?" She raised her hand on her stomach speaking to the baby. "Let's make a deal? You and me sleep for another hour and then I'll eat whatever you want me to later." Closing her eyes with a smile, Charlotte laughed at herself. Bribing the child at such a young age probably wasn't the best way to start things off, but she was tired. Really tired.

Turned out baby Mac heard his mom, though. When Graham came back downstairs Charlotte was out like a light and Graham new that the rest of the morning was on him.

After getting Hattie dressed and fed, the Coastie quietly got himself clothed. Charlotte was still asleep when he needed to head to the base, but instead of waking her, Graham made a phone call. He'd get a sitter for Hattie for a little while just so Charlotte could catch up on her peaceful dreams. But it was a wonder his wife didn't wake up when babysitter's car pulled in the driveway. Sawyer's music was up so loud that Graham was sure people in the county over could hear her blaring tunes.

Sawyer didn't knock when she got to the door, but walked in with a smile. "You owe me. Big time."

"Pawer!" Hattie's little feet ran over to Sawyer and the blonde quickly remembered that this favor wasn't too terrible. Who couldn't love that little creature clinging to her legs.

"Thanks, Sawyer. Charlotte will be up soon. Last night was kinda rough on her so..."

"I know. I know. I get it." The blonde nodded at Graham, "I was kidding about owing me...kind of." She laughed and Graham did too. "But get out of here. We're good." Looking down to her god-daughter, Sawyer smiled, "Right, kid?"

"Up." Hattie held up her hands and Sawyer picked her up.

Graham put on his USCG baseball cap that matched his blue utility outfit and grinned at his little girl. "Be good."

"She will." Sawyer nodded at Hattie with an arched brow, "Right?"

Graham opened the door and laughed. "I was talking to you, Sawyer."

Cutting her eyes, Sawyer shut the door. "Ha. Ha." The twenty-nine year old shut the door and shook her head. "Your dad thinks he sooo funny, doesn't he?"

"Box?" Hattie wasn't really concerned with what Sawyer thought about her father, she wanted to play with her stackable blocks that had fun animals, numbers, and letters on them.

"Alright, whatever you say."

For the next fifteen minutes, Sawyer and Hattie built towering block structures. The best part, of course, was hearing that precious little belly laugh when the nineteen month old would knock it all down. And it was that laughing that stirred Charlotte from her slumber.

"Well, well...if it isn't Sleeping Beauty." Sawyer smiled at Charlotte as she stacked one block on top of another.

Yawning with a smile, Charlotte laughed. "When did you get here?"

"Just a little while ago." Sawyer watched as Hattie pushed over the blocks and started to laugh like a mad scientist. "She's a little terror with these." Laughing, Sawyer shook her head at Hattie and gathered up the strewn blocks.

Glancing at her watch, Charlotte was hoping Sawyer could stick around for a little while longer. "So what are your plans today? Can I maybe steal you away from work for a little big longer?"

"Um...sure?" Sawyer wasn't sure was she was agreeing to but figured it couldn't be terrible. "Whatcha need?"

"I'm supposed to go to my parents house in a little bit. Mom wanted to talk to me about something, and I have a feeling she'd rather it just be me." Charlotte waited to see what Sawyer's response would be, and when her cousin didn't quickly answer, Charlotte rambled on. "I mean I can probably take her. It won't be a big deal. There was just something in Mom's voice that told me this was supposed to be between us...maybe it's about Hattie's Christmas present. I don't know."

Sawyer started to laugh and shook her head with a smile at Charlotte. "You know...you wouldn't have to ask. I'd watch the munchkin whenever. No questions asked." Sawyer glanced to Hattie with a grin. "She's my kid fix." Sawyer wouldn't normally admit that she even needed a kid to fill some fix, but after spending so much time around Charlotte's expanding family, Sawyer realized that kids (certain kids) weren't terrible in heavy doses. Especially when they ran up to you with a smile and called you Pawer. It was cute in the I don't want to tell anyone type of way.

"Thank you." Charlotte knew that she could always depend on her snarky, opinionated best friend. It seemed that Sawyer did have a less selfish side of her. It was and had always been there, it just wasn't always easy to see.

"Yeah, sure. One of these days I'll get you back with favors."

Nodding with a laugh, Charlotte crossed her arms. "Oh, I'm sure you will."

While Hattie was busy playing with Sawyer, Charlotte hopped in the shower and got dressed, ready to talk with her mom. She had no idea what this important conversation entailed but could only assume that it had to do with the upcoming holiday. Christmas was just around the corner. But more important than holiday cheer, was the news she'd get to tell her parents. In four months they'd have a second grandson.

On her way out the door, Charlotte thanked Sawyer again and hurried through the cool November chill to her car. The drive to her parents house was the same as always. She pulled into the driveway and saw a surprising sight. Her brother's car was in the driveway. Jamie had just gotten there.

He smirked in her direction and crossed his arms as he got out of the car.

It took Charlotte a minute to get out, because her belly was beginning to make it difficult, but she raised her brow at her brother. "What are you doing here?"

Jamie laughed, "What are _you_ doing here?"

If only they knew.

The thirty five year old boy waited up on his twenty eight year old sister, and Charlotte slowly walked closer. Jamie smiled at her growing stomach. "Looking good, Char." His little sister was five months along with her second and looked great.

She laughed and rolled her eyes, "Ugh, I feel fat." Looking down at her feet, she groaned, "My ankles feel like cement."

Jamie knew better than to laugh. "I think you wear pregnancy well."

"That's what all the men say. Graham told me the the same thing this morning." She stepped up the few stairs and laughed.

"So where's your girl? I don't get to see my niece?" Jamie raised his shoulders. He would have liked to see Hattie.

"She's with Sawyer. Sorry, I would have brought her, but mom sounded kind of weird on the phone. Like she wanted it to be the two of us." Charlotte looked at her brother and shook her head. "Obviously I was wrong since you're here too."

"You thought she sounded strange, too?" Jamie had noticed it as well when his mom had told him to stop by.

Charlotte nodded, "Yeah." Jamie opened up the front door and let Charlotte walk in first. "Mom? Dad?" Charlotte called out waited for a response.

"We're here." Jamie shut the door and walked toward the kitchen but a chilling sound floated through the air. He'd heard it first. The piano. He looked in the direction of the big black instrument and knew something was up. "Mom?" Anytime something was wrong or something was off Haley would sit herself in front of the piano and play a haunting melody to get her through whatever she was dealing with.

Haley looked up from the black and white keys and smiled, "Hi."

Nathan came inside from the back porch and walked to Charlotte first. "Hey, Char."

"Hi, Dad." Charlotte hugged her father. She hadn't really taken notice to her mom's somber tune and had a smile on her face.

"Hey Jamie." Nathan smiled at his boy and saw Haley get up from behind the piano. The parents walked to the living room and sat down as the kids watched them. Nathan looked at Haley and then his kids, "Come sit down for a second."

Jamie didn't like this at all. He knew something was up. "What's going on?" Jamie sat down in the chair next to the couch and let Charlotte sit in the one across from him.

Suddenly Charlotte could see that something was up. Their mom looked worried and their dad looked scared. Nathan looked like he'd lost sleep over something. Glancing around the room, Charlotte went with the first thing that came to her mind."Don't tell me you guys are moving, or something. I love this house. I know it's big for the two of you but you've been here my whole life." Charlotte shook her head and rested her hands on her stomach.

"It's not that." Haley took a deep breath and looked at both of her children. "I'm...I'm going to have surgery in a couple of weeks..." This was news she'd put off telling the kids in hopes of not freaking them out, but this was something that was going to _freak_ them out.

Jamie was the first to butt in with questions, "What kind of surgery?"

"You know how I had a sore throat last week? It actually ended up being more than just that." Haley paused for a moment. "It's a tumor."

Charlotte's big brown eyes widened, "A tumor? Mom?" This was the time where the pregnancy was going to hinder her. Charlotte could already feel tears welling up. Tumor? What could that mean? The different possibilities ran through Charlotte's mind, and she couldn't fathom what else they had to hear. Tears were streaming down her face like a river during flood season.

Jamie looked deadpanned, "Is it cancer?"

"Jamie!" Charlotte wiped her eyes and shook her head. She wanted to smack him for saying that. How horrible to assume or question something of that magnitude. Her brother didn't need to be such a downer. It was just a tumor right? Noticing that neither her mom nor dad had spoken up, she furrowed her brow, "Mom?" Haley met Charlotte with matching eyes. Turning to her father, Charlotte felt her world start to crumble. "...Dad?" Charlotte wanted an answer.

Nathan cleared his throat, "We won't know 'till after surgery."

Jamie sunk back in his chair, taking it all in. Was this happening? Did their mom really have cancer? It was too much. It was all _too_ much. They couldn't loose her. Not now.

Charlotte was on the verge of becoming a blabbering mess, "What? What does that mean?"

"We don't know, honey." Haley hated to see her kids cry. If Charlotte kept it up, Haley would be crying right along with her. "The doctor told us that they would be able to test it after they got it out."

The whole conversation was making Jamie's stomach hurt. "What type of cancer?"

"Thyroid", Haley said softly.

Charlotte still had questions, "Is that bad, how do you treat it?"

Haley felt Nathan put his hand on her leg and she sighed, "It's actually not as bad as you'd think..."

"Mom, it's _cancer_! How can it _not_ be bad?" Jamie didn't understand.

"Oh God, what about this baby? He's never gonna...never gonna..." Charlotte couldn't even finish her sentence. The tears and hitches in her breath were more than she could handle. This news wasn't supposed to be about cancer. Her mom was supposed to talk about Christmas and presents. This wasn't how things were supposed to go at all.

Nathan's ears perked up as did Haley's and Jamie's. Charlotte had just told them, unintentionally, that she and Graham were having a boy. "You're having a boy?" Nathan smiled. Now things would be all tied up. Two girls and two boys.

Charlotte sniffed and nodded, "I didn't mean to tell you like this."

Jamie felt himself smile amidst the other news he'd just heard.

Haley took a deep breath and shook her head, "You won't have to worry about that Charlotte. I'm gonna be fine."

"How...how do you know that?" Charlotte let herself calm down before continuing. "You can't go around saying you're fine when you don't have any idea if you may or may not have cancer."

Nathan looked at his youngest, "No matter what happens, it's all gonna be okay."

Jamie watched as Charlotte wiped another tear away and spoke up, "What happens if it is? If it is cancer?"

Haley glanced her her boy, her son who wasn't a boy anymore. "Doctor Kirkland said that chemo isn't normally the first way to fight it. If it is thyroid cancer, I may only need to take medication."

Jamie was surprised, "That's it?"

Nathan nodded, "And she might not even need that. This tumor could be some random thing that popped up and will go away."

Charlotte took another deep breath, "When are you having the surgery?"

"December 4th." Haley thought about it, "Almost three weeks from now."

Both Charlotte and Jamie had more questions, and while they asked away, Nathan got up and went to get drinks for everyone. Charlotte had moved to the couch and was sitting next to her mom and never wanted to move. Jamie looked at his little sister and mom, and got up too. He sat on the other side of Haley and wanted it all to be a bad dream.

Running her fingers through Charlotte's brown hair, Haley looked at her daughter and son. "I know this is hard, and I'm sorry..."

"You don't have to be sorry, Mom." Jamie shook his head and looked at her.

Charlotte agreed, "You couldn't have known or stopped this. It just happens." As much as she wanted to find someone or something to blame, Charlotte knew there wasn't. It reminded her of the terrible misfortune of her miscarriage. Things just happen.

The way her two kids were speaking to her made Haley tear up. "I know..." She couldn't finish the rest of her thought but didn't need to. Jamie and Charlotte understood.

"I love you." Charlotte turned to look at her mom and nodded.

Haley wrapped an arm tightly around her youngest, "I love you, too." She looked at Jamie, "Both of you."

Charlotte leaned into her mom and never wanted to move. She felt a sense of security. Even as a twenty-eight year old, sometimes it was nice to know that she could always lean on her mom for comfort, for anything. And now, as that simple idea could be taken away from her, Charlotte felt helpless. Between the emotion that stirred up by itself and the fact that Charlotte was pregnant, the young brunette was having a hard time coming to terms with what could happen.

Hours passed and Charlotte and Jamie hadn't really moved. Neither of them wanted to. The news they'd heard sent a rush of fear through them both and neither of them were ready to leave. Eventually they'd have to go home and tend to their own families, but this was their mom. Haley James; a warrior and genuinely good person. How could this be happening?

They wouldn't know, and never would.

When Charlotte did move from the couch, she went straight for the kitchen and got another glass of water. While Jamie was leaving, telling their mom goodbye, Nathan followed Charlotte in the kitchen and stood next to her. She appreciated the company and turned to him with a heavy sigh. "How are you doing it? You're acting so brave...and I'm a wreck."

Nathan was just trying to hold it together for her, for Jamie, and for Haley. Someone had to stay strong. "I'm terrified. I don't know a life without your mom...but..." His words made Charlotte cry and Nathan put his hand on Charlotte's back. "But I have to believe that everything's gonna be okay, Charlotte. You can't think about the bad. Focus on the good."

"It's kinda hard not too." Charlotte tore off a paper towel and dabbed her eyes. "I just hate this. For her, for you...for everyone."

"I know. We'll get through it, though."

Charlotte wanted to believe her dad, but he wasn't a doctor. He didn't know or have the answers they needed. They wouldn't find out anything for another few weeks. Waiting it out would be the worst part.

Catching the time, Charlotte groaned and blotted her face. "Ugh, gosh. I need to get back home."

Haley walked into the kitchen and felt her heart ache when she saw Charlotte's distraught face. "Honey, you don't have to stay."

"But I don't want to leave." Charlotte felt her chest fill with emotion and she wiped the corner of her eye.

Walking up to her youngest and pulling her in for a hug, Haley sighed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Charlotte knew she needed to grasp the unfortunate truth and accept whatever fate my lie ahead. She also knew that she needed to leave the house sooner than later. With each moment she spent at her parents, it was just another added minute that made her want to stay.

"I love you." Charlotte held her mom close and said it for what felt like millionth time, but somehow saying it made her feel a little better.

"I love you, too." Haley stepped away from Charlotte and smiled. "I'll call you tomorrow."

Feeling herself get upset, Charlotte nodded and quickly hugged her father before she left. Once she got into the car, Charlotte tried to think about happy thoughts as she made her way home. When she got to the house her ankles felt worse than they ever had and her cheeks were raw with tear stains. It was about three and Sawyer was going to deserve a major thank you, but right now Charlotte just wanted to be alone.

Sawyer was sitting on the couch when she heard the front door open. Holding her finger by her mouth, the blonde tried to signal to Charlotte that her daughter was asleep next to her, but suddenly Sawyer realized something was wrong. The two twenty-somethings were silent, and Sawyer watched her cousin take a seat and start to cry.

"What happened? Are you okay," Sawyer asked in a hushed whisper.

"No." Charlotte shook her head and sunk back into the chair.

Looking down to the sweet little drool monkey, Sawyer knew she needed to move Hattie to have a decent conversation. She'd been perfectly content letting Hattie snuggle next to her, but now Sawyer knew she needed to move the nineteen month old to the nearest bedroom**.  
**

Charlotte rested her head in her hands while Sawyer moved her daughter. Once the music lover came back into the room, Charlotte felt her emotion grab a hold of her. "You know...I was thinking. Would you hate me if I used the name Scott?"

"What? No. Not at all." Sawyer shook her head with a laugh, still concerned with what Charlotte was upset about.

"I mean, you're the oldest girl with our last name. So I feel as though I should ask you first." Lily was technically the oldest but only had a little girl, Sarah Roe.

"Charlotte...wait. Are you having a boy?"

"Yeah." She sniffled and let her breath catch in her throat.

"Ha, that's great."

"But my mom might have cancer."

Sawyer's normally combative and snarky responses were muted with that.

Charlotte shrugged and bit her lip. "Mom might have cancer, I'm having a baby she may never meet, and I think I wanna name him Scott."

Moving over to sit next to her best friend, Sawyer took Charotte's hand. "First off, your mom is the strongest person I know. Forget my parents. Your mom's dealt with shit most people never should. Her son was kidnapped. Your dad was thrown through glass and put in wheelchair. Your mom can get through anything. Second, thanks for asking, but you know you've got kid name dibs. They're not for me. I love watching Hattie, but... Scott is all yours." Sawyer tried to add in a little humor into her last sentence, but it was true. She wasn't gonna be a mom. She was just gonna share kids with Charlotte and Graham. They were already on track to have a handful. And besides, Scott was a name much better suited for a child from Charlotte than Sawyer. If the blonde ever had a boy, that name probably wouldn't even make the list of choices. It wasn't a bad name, it just wasn't Sawyer. Charlotte, though, Charlotte could use it and it would be perfect. It was a tradition, anyway. Might as well keep it up.

For another hour or so, Sawyer stayed by Charlotte's side to comfort her and give her strength until Graham got home. The older Scott girl was able to slip out of the door when the Coastie got home, and he knew the moment he'd walked inside that something was up.

Charlotte waited for him to sit down next to her and she simply leaned into him.

"Charlotte, what's wrong?" He never liked to see her upset, and he really didn't like seeing her pregnant and upset. "Is the baby okay? Wha..."

She hadn't meant to worry him about the baby and shook her head. "My mom might have cancer."

"What?" This was something he wasn't expecting. "How...when did you find out?"

"Today." Charlotte sniffed. "She told me and Jamie today, and I..." Her breath left her mouth and Charlotte couldn't speak. She swallowed hard and shook her head. "Graham, I can't lose my mom. Not now." Her hands rested over over protruding belly.

Graham was used to saving people or at least attempting to save people, but this case was out of his hands. "Your mom will pull through."

"I don't know." Charlotte hoped so but there were no guarantees in medicine. "And it got me thinking...I think we should name the baby Scott." It was gonna be a front-runner in the future when they were gonna have that conversation, but they were having that conversation now. "If you hate it or, if..."

"Charlotte..." Graham wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close. "I never doubted we'd name him anything but that." He knew the family history of naming kids after maiden names. Graham had already gotten used to the idea of Scott McFarland.

Her heart was aching but Charlotte felt herself smile. It had been early to find a name, but they'd done it. An unfortunate circumstance brought them to the decision, but like Graham had assumed, it had more or less already been decided. "Are you sure?"

"I'm positive." Graham nodded. He'd picked Hattie's name so it was really only fair that Charlotte picked baby number two's name anyway. He'd try to come up with a good second name, but that wasn't really important now. Right now Graham needed to make sure that he could take care of Charlotte and give her everything she'd need. "What can I do for you?"

"Tell me everything's gonna work out. That everything's gonna be okay." she leaned her head against him and sighed.

He kissed the top of Charlotte's head and nodded. "It's all gonna work out, Charlotte. Everything's gonna be just fine."

He couldn't have been certain at that point in time, but what Graham said ended up staying true. Haley's cancer scare had been just that; a scare. The tumor ended up being nothing serious and they'd all ended up worrying about nothing. It had been a scary situation but they'd gotten through it. Now all they needed to worry about was welcoming a healthy baby boy into the world. Hopefully all went well with that. Hopefully.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. That second section was a direct correlation to a LM chapter. Kinda sad, but if you read LM, you knew it would end up alright. But what we learned in this chapter: Charlotte and Graham are expecting their second. As usual, I get super paranoid that I picked out crap-tastical names, and this baby in particular has been the hardest to name. Scott has been a given since I decided Charlotte would have a boy, but it's the middle name (or first name, whichever sounds best) that I'm struggling with. So I need your help. I was planning on going with Erickson Scott (keeping with tradition and him going by Scott of course), but I'm not really digging Erickson anymore...and the rest of their kids have or will have first or middle names to do with the Outer Banks, so I'll probably pick something that stems from there as the first name. Sound ****good? I mean I guess in the big scheme of things it won't really matter what he has as a first name since he'll go by Scott...but, if you've got a suggestion, I'm open to it!**

**Next chapter we'll see Charlotte and Graham gain a fourth to their family of three and face the tough road of long distance; and I don't mean a three week excursion on the Diligence. It'll be longer. A lot longer. So much so that Charlotte will be going to a wedding with a date that isn't Graham. Hmm...who could it be? **

**My reviewers: I sincerely appreciate the feedback! Your input continues to push me to crank out more chapters!**

**J: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Joan: Yep, Charlotte's help with Lucas' book ends up being really important because she not only knows Sawyer's story...she and her husband also have a pretty good in with Ben. So, yeah, that'll be a big to-do in Sawyer's next chapter. I'm not so sure she'll appreciate her best friend's candid conversations with her dad. Ha, lol. Well, thank you for the compliment on my creativity switch. Sometimes it's on and a lot of the time it's off. I kinda missed the McFarland brood, but they'll make it back in the story next chapter. The dreaded brown bird. I will give you this much. Yes, Charlotte will see one and it's only a few chapters away. **

**Please Review!**


	25. Little Boy Blue

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 25: Little Boy Blue**

**Disclaimer: Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe. Catch a tiger by his toe. If he hollers let 'em go. I don't have any affiliation with the show!**

**A/N: I'm so ready for winter break it's ridiculous. How ridiculous? Ridiculous enough to procrastinate studying for my Civil War final and write this. ;) A few important things come up in the chapter. Not to mention you get to meet the 2nd Coastie baby. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

-7 months

Graham was lost in a daze. He hardly noticed his surroundings or the music that was playing around him. The freshly turned thirty-two year old Lieutenant Commander was caught up in the paper work in front of him. He'd read the letter a thousand times and somehow the black ink on the page didn't seem real. But it was. He was up for re-assignment. He'd have to leave Tree Hill.

Not now; not immediately, but when January rolled around to April, Graham would be heading west. Northwest more precisely.

He wouldn't be going on a Diligence patrol. He'd be heading to Aviation school as an officer. A-school, where all rescue swimmers are trained, wasn't so bad. Graham had gone through the program himself, but he wasn't going to the Elizabeth City, North Carolina headquarters like he'd done when he was younger. They were sending him out of the state; out of the _continental_ United States.

As Graham's mind flew elsewhere, he thought about the 5000 miles that separated home and this new assignment. Graham absentmindedly reached for his drink hoping the alcohol might wash away reality, but his glass ran dry.

"You want another one of those?" Neil slung a rag over his shoulder and looked at the Coastie.

Nodding, the rescue swimmer pushed his glass towards the edge of the bar. "Ever been to Alaska, Neil?" Graham's eye drifted to the folded letter hidden by its USCG stamped envelope that he'd put on the bar.

Pouring the scotch over ice, Tric's bartender shook his head. "Can't say that I have."

Watching the alcohol fill the glass, Graham sighed, "Me either." He got his drink and took a swig, feeling the scotch coat his insides as it went down his throat.

The bar stool next to the Coast Guard officer was taken by a familiar face. Arching her brow with a sarcastic smile only Sawyer Scott could pull off, the music producer bumped into Graham's shoulder. "And what do I owe this pleasure? You're stopping by work just to see me? How sweet." Her facetiousness was riddled with a smirk and her blue eyes.

Turning to his friend and Charlotte's cousin, Graham shook his head. "Not now, Sawyer." He moved his hand to his head and started to soothe an ache that was just starting to gain strength.

The blonde twenty-nine year old instantly saw Graham's troubles crinkle across his brow. "Oh shit. What's wrong?"

He slid the letter towards her and nodded. "Read it."

Her hand pulled the formal document from its covered pouch and her eyes scanned the lines. "Lieutenant Commander McFarland...blah, blah, blah..." Sawyer kept with the lines until she found his reason for worry. "_Due to your supreme experience and expertise as a United States Coast Guard rescue swimmer you will serve as an advising officer for Kodiak's A-School program..._" Sawyer looked up from the letter and to the green eyed Coastie sitting to her left. "Kodiak? As in polar bears and Eskimos, Alaska?"

With a laugh, Graham nodded and took his letter. "Yeah."

"Wha...Does Charlotte know?"

Graham folded the letter along its creases and tucked it back in the envelop as he shook his head. "Not yet." He took a deep breath and picked up his drink. "She's seven months pregnant and I'm about to drop a bomb on her." He rolled his eyes and shook his head more adamantly, "Charlotte can't catch a break. Two months ago we were dealing with her mom's cancer scare and now I have to go to _Alaska_."

With a smile, Sawyer tried to change the tone of the mood. "Can't you ask Ben to go for you? He's done it before. He'd probably do it again."

Graham wasn't going to do that. Not after letting Ben take the Texas job for him. He shook his head and got out some money and placed it on the bar. "I wouldn't, but even if I did he couldn't go. Ben's not a rescue swimmer."

Sawyer knew that but thought offering up Ben might make Graham smile. It didn't work and the worry on the young dad's face was a little heartbreaking. Sawyer could tell that he didn't want to go. "How long will you be gone?" Sawyer hoped it wasn't long. Her best friend needed her husband. Hattie needed her dad. The new baby needed his dad.

"Twenty to twenty-four weeks." He shrugged, "Depends on the candidates, really." The faster and harder the A-school students worked, the faster he could get home.

Quickly realizing that was at least five months, Sawyer swallowed hard. "If you need me to watch the mad hatter while you figure things out I will. Just drop her off..."

"Thanks..." He shook his head. "But I gotta get going." Graham grabbed his jacket, nodded towards Neil, and then headed outside. He was headed home. Home to Charlotte and Hattie. Home to the house they'd bought nearly four years ago; the home that wasn't going to be home very much longer. At least not for him.

Charlotte was cutting new potatoes when she saw the white Tahoe pull into the driveway. A smile started to spread across her cheeks and she turned to the little girl who was playing with colorful blocks on the kitchen floor. "Somebody just got here, Hattie. I wonder who it could be?"

Big brown eyes looked up to a set of matching ones and the twenty-one month old started to get up. She stuck her bottom in the air as she rose to her feet and quickly stomped over to the front door. Pressing her face against the glass, the toddler's excitement started to shine through when she began to bang on the door when she saw that familiar man dressed in blue.

Charlotte couldn't help but smile when she heard their daughter's sweet and excited laughter. She tossed the potatoes in the colander to run some water over them and heard the front door open.

Even with his sour mood, seeing that little girl waiting for him at the door made Graham's heart swell and his smile had nowhere to hide. He opened up the front door and scooped up Hattie. "Hey, minnow!" He blew a quick raspberry against her cheek and smiled smiled. "How are you?"

"Pie me, pie me...!" Hattie flapped her arms and wanted her dad to fly her through the air.

"Fly you?" Securing his arms around her, Graham nodded and started to guide the little girl through the air. His path through the house led him to the kitchen and he almost stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Charlotte. Her back was to him but she still looked beautiful. Simply rinsing potatoes, and that woman nearly made Graham's heart burst at the seams.

Turning to look over her shoulder, Charlotte flashed a sweet grin. "I think I narrowed it down to two." Even though they were settled on Scott, the baby needed another name. She wiped her hands with a paper towel and nodded.

"Oh yeah?" Graham set Hattie down and walked towards his wife.

"Mmm-huh." Charlotte felt his hands on her stomach and she put her arms around his shoulders. "Off the the list you made I like Hutton and Gray."

"Hutton Scott McFarland, or Scott Hutton McFarland?" Graham's eyes flew to Charlotte's pregnant belly as he said the potential names out loud.

"Or Scott Gray McFarland." Charlotte nodded with a smile. "I don't know. I'm having trouble deciding." She rested one of her hands above his and shrugged. "Do you have a favorite?"

Graham shook his head and glanced up from her belly to those brown eyes of hers. "You?"

Feeling her cheeks heat, Charlotte laughed and rolled her eyes. "I don't know, honey. Scott You McFarland doesn't really have a good ring to it."

He hadn't suggested it as a name, he just couldn't stop thinking about Charlotte. Ever since he'd gotten that letter she'd been the only thing on his mind. Now that she was in front of him, he couldn't stop staring. Graham's green eyes started to deepen and he took a step closer. "I love you."

Something about Graham was off and Charlotte knew it. "Babe, what is it?" His slow response made Charlotte kiss him quickly, and the whiskey on his breath made her brow furrow. If he'd had a drink before he came home something bad happened at work. "Did you miss a save today?" One of her hands moved down his shoulder to his back and she soothingly rubbed it with a concerned look.

"No...I uh..." He felt nervous. Graham took a deep breath and pulled the letter from his pocket. "I got a new assignment."

Feeling her face fall, Charlotte also felt her stomach twist in knots. "You did?" She knew it had to be far away considering his demeanor. "Where? How long?"

"Kodiak, Alaska."

Moving away from Graham, Charlotte felt like the wind had been knocked out of her. Kodiak, Alaska? Wasn't that one of the most dangerous bases in all of the Coast Guard? "For how long? When do you leave?" Her eyes had a glossy sheen as she turned to her husband.

"Charlotte..." He didn't want her to get upset. Graham hated that he had to put her through this.

Her shoulders shrugged and she bit her lip. "Just tell me, Graham."

Instead of beating around the bush, he gave her the answers she wanted. Maybe not the answers she wanted, but the answers to her questions. "I leave April tenth for five months, maybe six."

Sitting down, Charlotte felt like she was going to throw up. "Six months?"

Walking to her side, Graham pulled up a chair in front of her. "I know it seems like a long time, but..."

"April tenth?" Charlotte sighed heavily and rested her head in her hands. "God, I hope I don't have this baby late." The little McFarland boy was due in late March but the date wasn't ever in stone.

"You won't, and if you do I'll work around it." Graham put his hand on her stomach and shook his head. "I'm not missing this, Charlotte." There were a lot of things Graham was going to miss and a lot of things he already missed from being an active Coastie, but the birth of a child was not one of them.

"So April to Sep...October?" Charlotte knew better than to hope for the earlier month.

"Probably." He nodded and reached out for her hand.

"And it's dumb for me to come, isn't it? I'll have a _brand new_ baby who probably isn't even supposed to fly, a two year old, and I won't have the support system up there like I have here."

Nodding, Graham shrugged. "It's your decision, but I think you know what's best."

"I do." She didn't want him to leave, but between her options, Charlotte knew the route she needed to take. She needed to stay in Tree Hill.

"And A-school is an around the clock thing. Drilling from six to six and then practice missions. It's hectic." Even if Charlotte and the kids did come to Kodiak he'd see them in brief instances which didn't make a move for them plausible.

Charlotte assumed as much. She'd heard stories of his days about the program and how brutal it was. Throw in the Alaskan weather and it was probably ten times as hard. It was smart for her to stay. They had the house, their family; home was in Tree Hill. Spending any length of time away from Graham was never what she wanted, but as a military wife, it was the life she signed up for.

Taking a deep breath, the brown eyed mom looked to Graham and shrugged. "I..." Her pregnancy emotions were starting to shine through. Charlotte's tears filled those big brown orbs of hers and she started to slowly get off the chair, using the table as a crutch to help lift her growing belly. "Will you finish that?" She pointed at the potatoes and started walking towards the bedroom. She needed to lay down.

"Charlotte..." Graham got up and wanted to say something that would make her feel better.

Turning around, Charlotte shook her head. "I'll be fine."

Left in the kitchen, Graham took a deep breath. Then he felt a tug on his pants and looked down to a little girl who could make a bad day better. "Hey, Minnow."

"Up."

Scooping up the little girl, Graham put Hattie on his shoulders and held her back for support. "How about helping me finish this?"

While Graham and Hattie tended to dinner, Charlotte found herself softly crying in bed. She was ready for him to go for an extended amount of time, but she was going to have to find the will to make it through. Her hands roamed over her belly in hopes of finding comfort in the motion. When she felt a kick, Charlotte smiled. Baby Mac would keep her company while his dad was gone. He and Hattie both would.

**OTHOTH**

-Late March

Charlotte was trying to set a speed record for putting on clothes. So far she was doing a pretty decent job considering she had a full term pregnancy belly that kept getting in her way. Standing in front of the mirror, clad in only her bra and underwear, Charlotte was trying to get her pants up when she felt him come up behind her. He kissed the top of her shoulder and she raised it to her ear to keep him at bay. "Graham..."

"You don't have to leave yet."

His voice tickled her neck and she bit her lip. "Stop..." She pulled mightily on her pants and bugged her eyes when she felt her husband's hands dangerously close to her bra clasp. "You have already made me late."

"Mmm..." Wrapping his arms around her stomach and peppering her shoulder with a few more kisses, the Coastie grinned against her skin. "I didn't hear you complaining."

Cheeks roasted with the darkest shade of red, Charlotte lightly elbowed him. "Graham! Just...just get me my shirt...please."

Didn't she mean his shirt. Technically is was one of his, but obviously she wasn't getting technical. _Her_ shirt had been thrown on the bedroom floor and he picked it up with a smile. "You don't have to go to Sawyer's. You can stay here." Hattie was with her parents and they had the whole house to themselves.

Graham was putting on his best look, giving her the puppy-dog eyes and everything, but Charlotte had to resist. "I have been cooped up in this house for the last month. I want to get out, and I missed Sawyer's birthday because I was so uncomfortable that day, so we're doing our own thing tonight."

He knew Charlotte had plans. He had plans with the guys, as well, but it didn't mean he couldn't try to persuade her into doing other things. Holding out the button-down shirt, Graham helped Charlotte get it on and smirked as he started to button her buttons. "I think I like this method more."

"What? You buttoning my buttons?" Charlotte laughed and felt him move up her shirt as he finished the job.

Grinning with a laugh, Graham shook his head. "No. Having sex to induce labor." He glanced at her belly and knew that their little guy was three days late. With Graham leaving town in less than two weeks, they were trying all the home remedies they could find to get Charlotte's labor spurred. So far nothing was helping, and they were willing to try just about anything.

"Oh...that." Charlotte started to smile. "Yeah..." She haphazardly shrugged "I guess so." Her smile started to curl from her lips as Graham's face fell.

"You guess so? Oh, really?" He laughed and started to un-do the buttons he just did.

Holding her hands in front of her chest, Charlotte laughed. "Okay, okay. Yes..." She leaned close and placed a lingering kiss on his lips. "It wasn't so bad." Of the multiple home and natural remedies, sex was one of the good ones. Taking castor oil was a common practice but the side-effects were less than pleasant. Quickly moving past Graham, Charlotte fluffed her up hair and grabbed her purse. She looked at her husband and crossed her arms. "Well come on, you have to drive me."

Graham just laughed and grabbed a shirt. Charlotte's protruding belly made for a troubling driving experience as of late. It was better if someone did the driving for her.

When the couple got outside, Graham helped his wife get in and then he headed over to Sawyer's. She'd turned thirty just a few days ago and since Charlotte hadn't been able to make it out to Mexican to watch all their friends salute the music producer with margaritas, Charlotte was going over to celebrate tonight.

Pulling up to the curb, Graham stopped the car. "You want me to help you get out?"

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "I'm pregnant, not elderly." She leaned into kiss him with a smile. "I'll call you later. I probably won't be able to stay up past eleven so..."

"I'll be here." Graham kissed Charlotte back and watched her waddle up to the front door.

Sawyer saw the headlights in front of the house and opened to door to see her best friend and cousin looking rather plump. "Well _only_ forty minutes late." The cool March air let a breeze run through the house as Sawyer stood in her doorway.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry..." Charlotte winced and turned to wave Graham off.

Arching her brow, Sawyer waved at Graham as he drove away. "He had something to do with your tardiness, didn't he?"

"What? No." Charlotte quickly dismissed the idea causing Sawyer to laugh.

"Oh, Charlotte Scott McFarland you are the world's worst liar."

Shrugging, Charlotte walked into Sawyer's house. "Well anyways...what's on the docket tonight? Which movie are we watching?"

"_Thelma and Louise_, Char." Sawyer laughed like it had been a dumb question. "Story of our lives, right?"

Laughing out loud, Charlotte took a spot on the couch. "Hardly."

"Then what movie is ours?" Sawyer dialed the pizza place on her phone to order dinner before they got set with their movie.

"Ours are different." Charlotte loved the fact that Sawyer handed her a blended margarita but smelled it first. "Is there alcohol in this?"

"Yes, Mrs.-I'm-about-to-pop-out-a-baby-and-alcohol-is-totally-good-for-me." Sawyer laughed and shook her head. "Hell no. I'm not _that_ irresponsible. But sorry if it's a little melty. Someone was late, remember."

Sipping on the slushy non-alcoholic margarita, Charlotte laughed. "Well...your movie should be a combination of _Empire Records_, _Bull Durham_, and..._Mean Girls_."

"_Mean Girls_!" Sawyer's mouth fell open as she walked back towards the kitchen. "What?" Laughing as she got herself a drink, Sawyer made sure to put the tequila in it. "Alright, I'll play this game. How about _Cheaper by the Dozen_ for you? I mean at this rate, you and Graham are gonna have _twelve_ kids."

Resting her hands on her stomach, Charlotte laughed. "Twelve is a frightening number." She and Graham wanted a big family but twelve was pushing it; pushing it way too far.

"_That_ it is." Sawyer nodded and sat down next to her best friend. "I can't imagine doing that." Twirling her finger around Charlotte's belly, the blonde grimaced. "And besides, I'm thirty now. I'm past my prime."

Disregarding the second half of Sawyer's sentence, Charlotte smiled. "Happy late birthday, by the way." She turned to Sawyer and looked a little more serious. "Sorry I couldn't go out a few days ago."

Smiling but shaking her head, Sawyer shrugged. "You're here now."

Holding out her drink, Charlotte nodded as she tapped her glass with Sawyer's.

The girls got situated with their movie and enjoyed the women driven characters as the story played out on screen. The pizza boy came and delivered an extra large, extra-cheese, thick crust pizza that Charlotte all but devoured on her own. In her defense, she _was_ eating for two.

With about thirty minute of their movie left, Sawyer opted to the kitchen to get refills. She came back in the living room and turned her nose up. "Dear Jesus, was that Trout?" She put down Charlotte's drink and waved that rank smell away from her face. "Outside, boy. Come on." She snapped once and led the dog outside.

Meanwhile, Charlotte found herself in a laughing fit that made her belly bounce with each giggle. She was so bad. Not to mention she couldn't believe she was letting Trout take the heat. None of it would have happened, but it was just too hard for her to get up and go to the bathroom with so much belly in her way.

Sawyer came back in the room with a hilarious expression. "Whoa, sorry about him. You know how he gets." Charlotte only burst out laughing even harder and Sawyer turned to her friend confused. "What?"

Trying to spit out the truth, Charlotte only laughed harder which then allowed Sawyer the time to put the pieces together. "Oh..oh my God. You farted! You're the culprit!" She couldn't get it halfway out of her mouth without laughing herself.

In between laughs and trying to wipe the tears off her face from laughing so hard, Charlotte pointed at herself. "I couldn't get up...it was all that cheese." At this point she was over being embarrassed about it. Too much dairy didn't suit her well.

"When he's born I'm calling him Stink Bomb, or Scott McStinky." Sawyer pointed at Charlotte's belly and was laughing so hard she was in tears now.

"I'm sorry." Charlotte was trying to soothe her laughter and then when she leaned up to reach her drink Charlotte felt something other than laughter. "Oh my God."

Bugging her eyes, Sawyer gasped. "Please don't tell me you did it again!"

Looking down, Charlotte shook her head. "No...my...my water broke."

"What." Looking rather ridiculous as she tried to get up out of her seat in a speedy fashion, Sawyer's mouth fell open. "You're kidding?"

Feeling the wet spot, Charlotte shook her head. "No...we need to go."

"Fuck." Quickly covering her mouth, Sawyer's eyes remained bugged. "Sorry, I hope he couldn't hear me."

"Help me up?"

Sawyer did as she was asked but one glance at the wet spot on her couch and she was starting to feel faint. Why did people say 'my water broke'? That shit didn't look like water at all. "Oh, I'm gonna gag. I'm gonna gag!" Add this to the list of why Sawyer never wanted kids. Pregnancy was just plain nasty.

Charlotte was trying to stay calm but her best friend was not helping the situation. "Sawyer, get a phone."

With her nerves shot, Sawyer searched for her phone and held it out.

"Well call Graham!"

"Right!" Dialing his number, Sawyer waited for an answer.

"Hello?"

The voice she heard wasn't Graham's. "Ben? What the hell? Where's Graham? Charlotte's in labor!"

Graham was flipping burgers on the grill while the rest of the guys got ready for half-time as the Bobcats faced off with the Grizzlies, so the Tennessee born Coastie answered his phone. Stunned at what Sawyer was telling him, Ben looked around flabbergasted. "Uh...uh...uh."

"Get with the program, Trammell! Charlotte's having the baby!"

"Graham!" Ben yelled for his friend and the green eyed Coastie came in with a raised brow.

"What?" He was about to come in and take a head count of who wanted cheese on their burgers.

"It's Charlotte, she's...in labor."

"Now?" Those green eyes of Graham's got as wide as saucers.

Sawyer heard Graham through the phone and she nodded. "Yes now, what do I do!"

Ben was like the mediator. "What does Sawyer do?"

"Tell her to take Charlotte to the hospital. We'll meet them there."

Relaying the message, Ben heard Sawyer's dial tone after she hung up and turned to Graham, stunned at the events that just took place. His baffled state of mind changed when he started to grin. Holding out his hands, Ben nodded. "Come on man. You've a kid on the way!"

As the Graham and the other guys raced out of the house, Sawyer was trying to help Charlotte in the car. "Oh, God. Oh, God. Oh, God..."

"Sawyer...deep breaths. Deep. Slow. Breaths." Charlotte had felt a few contractions during this whole ordeal but knew that they were pretty far part. "Just breathe, Sawyer."

"Ha...why am I getting direction on how to breathe," she asked rhetorically. Sawyer hadn't meant to get so worked up. "You're the one having the baby!" Jumping in the driver's seat, the blonde cranked her old convertible and peeled out of the driveway like a very cautious hell on wheels.

The hospital wasn't far way and with Sawyer's mad driving skills, the two Scott girls got there in no time. Hurrying to get a wheelchair from the lobby, Sawyer sprinted back to the car and got Charlotte in. "Are you good?"

"Perfect." Charlotte wasn't in pain so much as she was nervous. She'd never thought this is how they'd be experiencing this baby's birth.

"Is Liza working? That would be epic."

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "No. She doesn't work nights." Jamie's wife a pediatric nurse but that didn't mean she could lend her nursing expertise. Liza would be so much better in this situation than Sawyer.

The hospital door slid open and Sawyer ushered Charlotte into the elevators. "Maternity is upstairs, right?"

"Yeah."

Sawyer pushed the up button and waited for the doors to open before they got in. Outside the hospital Graham had just arrived. Ben let him out at the front, and the expectant father hurried inside.

Catching a glimpse of her husband, Charlotte reached out. "Graham..."

Hearing his name, Graham turned to see Charlotte just as the doors started to close. He tried to hurry over and catch the elevator before it went up, but he was too late.

The second elevator dinged and Graham jumped in that one, hitting the maternity floor button as hard as he could. As soon as the doors opened on the appropriate floor, Graham saw Charlotte and Sawyer by the nurses station. He hustled over to his wife and knelt down by her. "Hey."

Looking up when she heard his voice, Charlotte met his smile with her own. "Hi."

"So we're having the baby?"

Nodding, Charlotte put her hands on her stomach. "We're having the baby."

"Let's get you situated in the room, Mrs. McFarland. We'll get you set up and have Doctor Walker in shortly."

"Great, thank you."

Stepping away from the wheelchair, Sawyer held out her hands as if to pass the reigns. "She's all yours."

"Thank you, Sawyer. For getting her here. For all of it."

Nodding with a grin, Sawyer crossed her arms and watched her two friends wheel away towards Charlotte's room. "You owe me a new couch, by the way!" Sawyer laughed and couldn't help but shake her head at all that had unfolded.

Laughing, Graham furrowed his brow. "What did you do to Sawyer's couch?" He opened up the door to Charlotte's room and then pushed her in.

"My water broke...on it."

The Coastie couldn't help but laugh, and the duo got situated in the room until Dr. Walker came in. He told them it would be a few hours before anything significant happened which gave time for Charlotte and Graham's family to get there. Nathan and Haley made it to the hospital, and Graham's parents were headed down first thing in the morning.

As soon as Haley set foot on the maternity floor, she was pointed in the right direction by Ben. The older mom walked into her twenty-eight year old's room with a smile. "Hi, honey."

"Mom, hi." Charlotte leaned back in her pillows with a relieved sigh. Graham was absolutely the most important person to be by her side, but having her mom there made things even better. For the most part.

"Brooke sends balloons." Nathan walked into the hospital room with a bundle of blue balloons. "Since she's watching Hattie for us, she wanted to send something till she can get here."

"That was sweet of her." Charlotte admired the balloons and expected nothing less of her Aunt Brooke.

All of the adults heard the beeping from Charlotte's passing contractions and Graham held his wife's hand as he looked to his in-laws. "I think the baby knows we want him to get here before I leave."

"Probably." Haley smiled with warm eyes and knew that her newest grandchild would only get to spend two weeks with his dad before Graham had to leave for Alaska. "Any word about that. Will Charlotte get to come visit you?"

Another beep from Charlotte's machine echoed through the room but it wasn't a contraction. It signaled a spike in her heart rate. She shook her head and closed her eyes. "Mom...not now." Charlotte didn't want to talk about Alaska. Pretty soon she'd be living it. Graham would be gone, she'd have a newborn, a near two year old, and no plans to see her husband until he came back to North Carolina in October. It was only late March so October seemed like light years away.

Seeing the stress on Charlotte's brow, Nathan reached out for his daughter's arm. "Let us know if you need anything. We'll be back." He knew that the couple might want a minute or two alone, so Nathan figured he could get Haley out of the room for a little while. It might do Charlotte so good, too.

Nodding towards her father, Charlotte appreciated his gesture. She took Graham's hand when her parents left the room and she looked at him for what felt like forever. "I don't want you to go." There was no choice in the matter, but it didn't mean Charlotte couldn't say it.

"I know." He felt helpless, but Graham knew how she was feeling. "I know." He kissed the inside of her wrist and pressed his against his cheek. "Everything's gonna be okay."

Nodding, Charlotte knew it would be. Shifting on her side, she took a deep breath as she rode out a contraction. "I need to practice my story telling. Hattie's gonna expect a lot out of me when you're gone." She smiled and closed her eyes.

Smiling, Graham nodded. "Tell me a story."

With eyes still closed, Charlotte started to repeat a story she'd heard from her husband about a valiant sailor who acted as the peoples' hero. A native along the shores of the Carolina banks, the old man guided those who were in need and warned them in case of danger.

As the expectant mother went on about the sailor, Charlotte's story was interrupted as her pain increased with each passing minute. She didn't get to finish the ending but it didn't matter. Charlotte and Graham both knew the ending.

What became more important and more heartwarming than the story came at 4:16am. In the early morning hours, the newest addition to the McFarland brood came into the world with green eyes and a tuft of dark hair. Scott Gray McFarland was finally here.

It was a shame that Graham would be leaving so soon. He'd have to enjoy his time with the baby as much as he could. Kodiak was calling his name, and Graham couldn't do anything to change it.

**OTHOTH**

April rolled around faster than anyone wanted it to, and on the morning of the 10th, Charlotte woke up to an empty bed. Graham hadn't left yet, but he gone somewhere. The bassinet by the side of the bed was quiet and empty, so she knew he must have been with the baby.

Slowly getting out of bed, Charlotte started to leave the bedroom but stopped just as she got into the living room. Graham was sitting on the couch with not only their son, but Hattie was curled into the side of her father as well. Charlotte couldn't make out Graham's soft whispers but whatever he was saying nearly made her tear up. It was an image she'd never want to forget.

Mack heard the floor creak with Charlotte's weight and his ears perked up. Graham noticed and turned to see his wife and he smiled. They shared a silent 'good morning' and Charlotte slowly walked over to her family.

"Hey." Graham watched Charlotte sit down and he turned to her with their youngest cradled in his arms. "He woke up about two hours ago. She did about twenty."

The toddler between Charlotte and Graham was barely asleep. Charlotte ran her hand over Hattie's soft hair and smiled with the little girl started to lean into her side.

Graham looked to the little boy in his arms and could see his eyes flutter as he slept. Turning to Charlotte with a smile, Graham grinned. "He's so little."

Admiring Scott, Charlotte nodded. "Green eyes, brown hair..." Looking to Graham, she smiled. "I won't have to look far for a reminder of you."

There it was; another reminder that he'd be leaving. Graham took a deep breath and looked at his watch. "I should probably get dressed." He started to hand over their son and quietly got up, hoping he wouldn't wake up their children.

Charlotte stayed like that for a while- simply looked at her peaceful kids while Graham got ready for his flight. Haley was coming over to watch the kids while she took him to the airport so when she heard her mom's voice, Charlotte realized how much time flew by.

"Morning."

Smiling at her mom, Charlotte nodded. "Morning."

Hattie had woken up and met her grandmother halfway into the house. "Sot." The little girl pointed at her mom as Haley picked her up.

"That's Scott, huh?" Haley flashed Hattie a cute, curious smile and the little girl's big brown eyes got bigger.

"He'll wake up soon, and want a bottle. There are a few in the fridge ready to go. She may not eat much for breakfast so don't worry about cooking. I'm gonna get dressed and Graham will be out here soon to say goodbye to the kids." Charlotte passed Scott over to her mom with a quiver in her voice. "I don't think I can watch that."

Haley understood, nodding as she took her second grandson in her arms.

Charlotte walked into the bedroom and saw Graham going over his packed duffel. She could already feel herself getting emotional and headed into the bathroom. "Mom's here. I'll be ready in fifteen minutes."

She disappeared behind the bathroom door before he could respond. Graham knew it was hard for her. It was hard for him. He greeted Haley, took his bags out to the car, and then did one of the hardest things he would ever have to do. The only upside in telling his kids goodbye was the fact that they were too little to know what what going on. Hattie would catch on in a few days when he wasn't around, but Scott might not even notice Graham's disappearance which killed the Coastie dad. He wanted his son to know him, and now that he was leaving, Graham was afraid Scott wouldn't know him at all.

"Thanks for doing this, Haley." Graham took his son into his arms and nodded at his mother-in-law.

Haley didn't need his thanks, but smiled anyway.

Clearing his throat, Graham looked at the baby boy with kind eyes. "Alright, you. Man of the house, okay? Take care of your mom and your sister. Mack will have your back, and if he starts barking it just means he loves you." Graham felt his throat close up and he nodded. "I love you."

Charlotte had been right. She didn't want to see it; Haley was hardly keeping it together just overhearing it. She stepped away from her son-in-law and waited for the father and son to have their moment together until she got the baby back.

Graham didn't realize how hard this was going to be until he was doing it. He kissed Scott on the head about a million times before passing him over to Haley. Seeing Hattie on the floor with a stuffed animal, Graham walked over to her. "Hey, Minnow..."

Looking over her shoulder, Hattie smiled at her dad and ran over to him.

"I'm leaving for awhile, alright?"

"Bye, bye?"

"Yeah. I'm going bye-bye." Graham nodded. "I'm going away on a big plane today..." Between connections it would actually be multiple planes, but Graham didn't need to explain that to his oldest.

"Ooh, ooh. Pie me! Pie me!"

Laughing, Graham nodded and figured he could fly Hattie around the house one last time. The next time he'd do it wouldn't be until fall.

While Graham was flying Hattie around the house, Charlotte was debating on mascara. She knew she'd just cry it off at some point, and none of that stuff was really even water-proof. Opting to go without it, Charlotte took one last look in the mirror and then headed out of the bathroom. When she saw Hattie and Graham she about lost it, but kept it together as best as she could. She checked on Scott and then heard Graham saying bye to their oldest.

"Hey, Hat...you know what?" Graham had Hattie sitting on his forearm and her head was resting against his cheek. "When I get back it'll be you and me trick-or-treating, alright? You can dress up however you want."

"Me you." Hattie reached for Graham's cap and put it on her head sideways. "Me, you."

Smiling at Hattie's Coast Guard look, Graham kissed the little girl on the cheek and took his hat back. "I'm gonna need that back though, Minnow."

"Me." Hattie furrowed her brow and reached back for her dad's hat.

Graham moved away from those little hands of hers and shook his head. Hattie's eyes started to well with tears and Graham looked to Charlotte and Haley for help.

Charlotte got up and walked over to Graham and Hattie. She looked to their little girl and nodded, "Uncle Ben will let you wear his hat later, but Daddy needs his today." Smiling, Charlotte rubbed on Hattie's back, "And you better give Daddy a big hug. You won't see him for a while."

The little brown eyed girl threw her arms around Graham and prompted to give him and open mouth kiss on the cheek. It was a little sloppy, but sweet nonetheless.

"Behave, Minnow. I'm counting on you."

Charlotte's eyes were stinging as she fought back tears. This was so much harder than saying goodbye for a Diligence patrol. Graham was going away for so much longer. She took a step away from Hattie and Graham to take a deep breath.

After a final goodbye, Graham put Hattie down and watched her run towards her grandmother. "Bye, Haley."

"Stay safe, Graham." Haley nodded to her son-in-law and wondered if her tone conveyed the message of fact. They didn't need anything to go wrong. Charlotte didn't need anything to go wrong.

Graham nodded. "I will." He put an arm around his wife and they both walked out the door.

The car ride to the airport was uncomfortably silent. There were few words if any, and the Coastie simply took Charlotte's hand the entire way there. It was all he could think to do.

When they parked and Graham got his bags out of the car, Charlotte waited for him to check in with the airline and the empty feeling in her stomach was making her whole body ache. After Graham was done, he walked over to her, looking especially handsome in his uniform.

"You do wanna go sit down somewhere? I've got thirty minutes before I board." Charlotte nodded and slipped her arm through Graham's as they walked to the airport Starbucks. He sat across from her and took a deep breath. "When I'm gone if you need anything around the house call Jamie or Ben...or you're dad. You've got a whole Coast Guard base who will be at your beck and call."

Smiling, Charlotte nodded, "Ben already told me he wanted to tighten up that loose board on the front porch."

Glad that Ben was already taking initiative, Graham added, "And Sawyer said she'd probably be over all the time."

"Between her and mom, Aunt Brooke, and Liza, I don't think I'll spend much time alone."

"I'll have my cell phone when I'm not working, training, or on a mission. We've done the Skype stuff before and email..." Graham sighed and looked at his wife with a heavy heart. "There's not a day that will go by where we won't talk."

Nodding, Charlotte was trying to make the best of it. "I have your address written on the fridge so I can send you things." Charlotte wasn't sure what she'd send him. Pictures, letters, anything really. "I don't think food will travel well but I might find a way to surprise you."

Smiling, Graham laughed. "If you find a way to ship a dump cake up there I'll try to get home early."

"I'll try." She cracked a smile at his joke.

Leaning over the table, Graham took both of Charlotte's hand and couldn't help but look at that ring on her left finger. "Happy early anniversary."

The fact that he would be missing their four year wedding anniversary hadn't even crossed her mind. Considering he wouldn't be home until October meant Graham would miss the September date. He was going to miss other things, too. Hattie's second birthday was at the end of the month, Charlotte's twenty-ninth birthday was in June, the Diligence Dash- the event that started it all six years ago, and their anniversary; Graham was missing a lot.

"And happy early birthday." He looked into her dark brown eyes and shrugged. "God...I can't believe I'm missing so much."

Charlotte shook her head. "In the big scheme of things it won't be much." Her eyes traveled down to Graham's grandmother's ring that graced her finger. "What's one anniversary when we'll have fifty more?"

He started to smile thinking about that perspective and leaned into to kiss her sweetly. "I love you."

"I love you, too." Charlotte locked her eyes with his green ones and nodded. "Today, tomorrow..."

"...and the day after that." Graham finished Charlotte's thought with a cute grin. He got up from his chair and they started walking toward security. It was as far as Charlotte could go.

Standing where the line began, Charlotte ran her hands over the flaps of his jacket, dusting it off out of habit.

"You know you clean when you get antsy or something's on your mind."

"I know." Charlotte pulled her hand away and took a step forward. "_Please_ be careful up there. Be safe." Charlotte's throat was filling with emotion. "Come home."

Pushing on of his hands through her hair, Graham shook his head. "You won't have to worry about that, Charlotte. I'm coming home. I will."

He better. Charlotte wasn't ready for anything to the contrary. She never would be. Wrapping her arms around his muscular frame, Charlotte breathed in Graham's scent and hoped his smell would never go away.

She felt so small in his arms, and Graham held onto Charlotte for as long as he could.

The loud speaker announced final boarding calls for certain terminals and Graham's was mentioned.

"I have to go." He pressed his mouth to the side of her temple.

Her lip started to quiver but before she could cry, Charlotte placed a few short, sweet kisses on him. "I love you, Graham. I'll be here. All three of us."

"I love you, too." He kissed her one more time and turned to walk away.

Charlotte watched him leave and her heart dropped to her stomach just as a tear fell down her cheek. She'd done a really good job so far, but now she knew there wasn't any use in holding it back. Once he disappeared out of sight, Charlotte headed outside and got into the car with a sense of emptiness. She drove towards home and pulled into the driveway behind the Tahoe that would stay relatively stagnant for the next six months.

When she opened up the door, Charlotte heard some chatter coming from the kitchen and saw Hattie in the high chair smashing up some banana against her plate. Her mom was sitting in one of the kitchen chairs feeding Scott and Charlotte simply burst into tears.

Haley looked up and furrowed her brow. "Honey..." She got up and walked over to her youngest, and hugged Charlotte as best as she could with a baby in her arms.

"It was so hard, Mom. So hard." She looked at Scott and then to Hattie, wiping her eyes as the tears rolled down her cheeks. "And now I have to do this alone."

"You're not alone, Charlotte." Haley held her daughter closer and rubbed her back. "You'll never be alone in this."

Charlotte knew that was the truth, but it didn't make it any easier. These first few days were going to be the worst. If she could get through this, she could make through six months. Hopefully time would fly by.

**OTHOTH**

**So Graham's in Alaska and Charlotte's home with two young kids. Next chapter we'll see how well/not well she deals with being a "single" parent for lack of a better word. Next chapter will also include a wedding. I was gonna have it in here, but realized I didn't have room.**

**My reviewers: You guys continue to be the fuel to my fanfiction fire. Thanks for the support and feedback!**

**Chrissy: Thanks for the input! Drama is coming. I just have to get through some things before I can jump into it. It's on it's way though.**

**Anonymoususer: Hey again, replying here for now. Ugh, yeah the lap-top issue is getting really aggravating. I can't wait till I get a new one for Christmas. Literally I'm counting down the days, lol. I think I've adapted pretty well, but it's getting annoying, ha. I will always emphasize the kids' eye colors cause I think it adds character and personality to them. For instance since Hattie has Haley and Charlotte's eyes you can imagine she'd most like them. Scott has Graham's eyes and will be most like Graham, so on and so forth. Ha, well, I'm glad you find the stories educational. I'll admit. Nothing's perfect. I'm not in the Coast Guard nor is anyone I know, so my portrayal will not be perfect but I do research things before writing about it. And to clear things up, Hattie didn't cry because of her parents shock of her walking- she cried because when the camera broke it scared her. You're right, I sped through this pregnancy seeing as I've already written on pregnancy already- I didn't want to be repetitive and I needed to move the story along. Glad you liked the cancer scare inclusion. Also, thanks for the baby name suggestion even if I didn't choose it. And looks like you got what you wanted in Scott since he has green eyes. That's was planned from the get-go so I'm glad it matched up with what you wanted. I appreciate the feedback!**

**Review Please!**


	26. On Her Own

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 26: On Her Own**

**Disclaimer: Fa-la-la-la-la...la-la-la-no. I don't own anything related to the show.**

**A/N: Hey all. Hope the holiday season has been treating you nicely. Mine has been going great- going fast, but great. This update isn't holiday themed, but it does showcase how Charlotte deals with things while Graham is gone. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

There were scattered Cheerios on the kitchen floor, and each step Charlotte took a soft crunch echoed from beneath her feet. Hattie had been in a fussy mood all day-hence the thrown food, but she was just about to reach that terrible two phase. Charlotte might as well get used to the fits and tantrums that came with the territory. Hattie's second birthday was only a day away.

But until that time came, Charlotte was more concerned with fixing lunch. Simple sandwiches seemed like the best bet. Easy and quick. It was exactly what the twenty-eight year old mom needed. Hopefully Hattie wouldn't find the need to toss her lunch anywhere. Her brown eyed mother wasn't wanting to clean that mess up, too.

Charlotte had been on her own for eight days now. The dark raccoon eyes Charlotte was wearing made it seem longer, but she was doing her best. With a near two year old and a three week old things were tough. Sleepless nights and endless days had Charlotte physically and mentally exhausted. It seemed like as soon as she got a minute to herself Hattie or Scott needed her for something. The cycle of need and attention never waned.

Right now Charlotte was lucky. Hattie was entertained with a toy and Scott was asleep. If things stayed like this, maybe Charlotte would have time to make lunch and _eat_ it, too.

Passing the fridge on her way to get the bread, Charlotte saw the postcard that had come in the mail yesterday and smiled. Something about that Alaskan landscape made her grin. Something about Graham writing her a postcard made her smile. Just like her mom, Charlotte did have a love-affair with written form and snail mail. So something about putting pen to paper spoke more words than emails ever could. She and Graham passed those back and forth too, same with phone calls and Skype, but something about letters or postcards were what she looked forward to most.

Little feet headed Charlotte's way and Hattie ran into her mom's leg. "Up." Turned out that time without kids lasted all of about five seconds.

Looking down as she tried to slap some sandwich meat on the bread, Charlotte winced. "Hold on a minute, baby. Let me finish this."

"Up, Mama." Hattie inherited her mother's big brown eyes and used them to her advantage. One pouty face paired with those deep chocolate orbs and everyone was defenseless.

Hoisting Hattie up and placing her on her hip, Charlotte tried to fix food with one hand.

"Me..." The little girl reached for the jar of mayonnaise thinking she could help.

"No, no, Hat..." Before Charlotte could finish, she watched Hattie pull the jar off the counter. It plummeted to the floor and the mother of two closed her eyes knowing that the shattering of glass was about to fill her ears.

"Oops." Hattie looked up to her mom and put her hands together when the jar hit the ground.

Charlotte cracked one eye open and was happy to see that the jar of mayonnaise didn't break upon impact. Instead of shattered glass, Charlotte only saw a glob of the white stuff that made its way out of the jar and onto the floor. Sighing, Charlotte looked to Hattie and shook her head with a smile. "Close call, Hattie." Charlotte picked up the mayonnaise jar and put it back on the counter just as the baby monitor started to crackle.

Hattie and Charlotte both heard Scott issue his standard baby gurgle as he slept, and the littlest McFarland girl turned to her mother with her lips in the shape of a perfect O. For the most part Hattie was fascinated with her little brother. "Sot."

Nodding, Charlotte pressed her nose into Hattie's cheek. "Mmm-huh. I think Scott's getting hungry too."

"Me pood." Hattie looked from her mom to the food on the counter.

"I'm making your sandwich right now." Charlotte nodded and set Hattie down. "If you get to the table, I'll bring it to you in just a sec."

Hattie hurried over to the kitchen table and climbed into the seat that Graham normally sat in.

Hattie's little head barely made it over the lip of the table and Charlotte laughed as she walked to her oldest. "Not that one, silly." Charlotte got Hattie in her chair and then put down the little girl's lunch.

Two bites into her own sandwich and Charlotte was interrupted. Not by Scott or by Hattie, but by the knock at the door. Quickly chewing her food, Charlotte got up and started to walk that way. If it was anyone who knew her, they would know to come on in. Charlotte didn't see a car through the window but opened up the door to see two Coasties. The one on her left was a familiar face. "Ben, hey. Come on in." She smiled and stepped out of the way and looked to the other uniformed man. "Captain Billings, nice to see you, too."

Neither of the men came inside and Ben gave Charlotte a somber smile and kept it at that.

"Charlotte..." Captain Billings took off his hat and then a deep breath. "There was an accident in Alaska."

Her happy demeanor faded when she heard that. This was that moment no wife wanted to have, wasn't it? Two uniformed officers with mournful faces standing in her doorway. Charlotte's stomach flew into her throat as all of the color drained from her face. "What?" She looked to Ben who had a glossy sheen over his eyes. "Ben...no." Charlotte started backing away from the door as she realized what the two uniformed officers were doing. Each breath she took there after felt like she was swallowing razor blades. "No..."

"On behalf of the United States Coast Guard we extend our deepest sympathy and..."

Charlotte all but tuned out Captain Billings. Her tears started to puddle and fall down her cheeks, and Charlotte could only shake her head. "This is a mistake..." She'd backed herself up to a chair in the living room and slid down the back to the floor.

"Charlotte..." Ben walked into the house and reached out for his best friend's widow.

"Don't..." She flinched away from Ben. Charlotte didn't want to be touched, she didn't want to be spoken to. The life as she knew it had just been turned upside down. Her husband, her best friend, the father of her children was dead. There wasn't enough consoling in the world that could make things better.

In the other room Scott started to cry and Charlotte covered her hands with her face. This could not be happening. Scott's cries got louder and when the Coastie wife opened her eyes she found herself in her bed in a cold sweat. Her nightmare was over but Scott's cries hadn't subsided with her dream.

It took a minute for Charlotte to gather her emotions. She'd had another nightmare; another terrible nightmare where Graham would never come home. After taking a minute to compose herself, Charlotte moved out from under the covers to see what her three week year old son wanted. The bassinet was by her side of the bed so it wouldn't take long to tend to him. He could want a warm body, milk, a new diaper; it could be any of the above.

"Shh..." Charlotte got Scott and kissed the boy on his head. "Hey." Yawning, Charlotte blinked away her sleepiness and changed Scott's diaper. Once she was finished with that, Charlotte checked her watch and knew the little guy must have been hungry as well. Before sitting in the rocking chair, she'd moved by the bedside table and grabbed her phone. It may have been 2:17am North Carolina time, but in Kodiak it was only 10:17pm.

With the baby situated, Charlotte dialed those familiar numbers and listened to the line ring.

"Hey."

Smiling at the sound of his voice, Charlotte tilted her head. "Hi."

Graham's little place at the base wasn't much, it was hardly anything at all. Hearing Charlotte made it seem more homey though. Laying in bed, he glanced at the time and sighed. "Are you up because of the baby or because of another bad dream?"

"Both." Charlotte leaned back into the chair and looked down to the baby she was feeding.

Of the many night phone calls Graham had gotten, Charlotte had cried to him a few times about the terrible possibilities that ran through her mind as the night waged on. If he had counted right, this would be nightmare number four. And he'd only been gone _eight_ days. "Charlotte, I'm sorry."

"It's not you Graham. You don't have to apologize. It's me." She quietly laughed and shrugged. "I don't know why it keeps happening. I'm not going to bed constantly thinking of the worst. I'm really not."

She was probably having bad dreams because their bed made for two was occupied by one. The loneliness of cool sheets may have penetrated her conscious as she slept, concocting horror stories about why her husband was absent.

"It wasn't the same one, was it?" He knew she'd had a dream about a helicopter crash twice.

"No. I didn't get that far." Charlotte's arms were getting warm from Scott's little body heat as she held him close to her chest. "It was like a memory. Everything happened as it did today, but instead of Sawyer coming over at lunch, Ben and Captain Billings were at the door."

Running his hands over his face as he laid in his single bed, Graham grimaced. He knew what it meant if two of his guys showed up at their door. He knew exactly what that meant and he never wanted it to happen to her. "God, Charlotte..."

Had he not asked her about the dream, she probably wouldn't have brought it up. She could hear the worry and regret in his voice. Charlotte didn't want him to feel guilty about it. "But you're okay. I know you are. It was just a dream."

It may have been just a dream, but Graham still couldn't help but feel bad about it. If he wasn't gone she wouldn't be having them, and if he wasn't gone he could be lying right next to her. "How are the kids?" At least he could change the subject.

"Good." Charlotte smiled and looked down to their youngest. "Scott's woken up a few times tonight, but once I get ahold of him he's pretty calm."

"I got that picture of him smiling you sent me." Graham had it saved on his phone as the background.

"Hattie had sneezed and he must have thought it was the funniest thing."

"Probably." Graham laughed and tired to imagine how it all played out. "What about Minnow? What was she up to today?"

Smiling, Charlotte rubbed on Scott. "You mean besides replacing the hardwood with Cheerios?"

"Uh-oh, she did that?"

"It wasn't anything horrible but she decided all of her snacks were better suited for the floor. I think the terrible two phase came a little early." Thinking about Hattie's birthday, Charlotte wanted to reassure her husband that everything would be well documented. "Speaking of... Between Julian, Mouth, Mom, and everyone else, I think we'll have more pictures and videos than you could ever want to see."

Nodding because that was the way he wanted it, Graham rolled over to his side. "I hope she likes that bear I found."

"Are you kidding? She'll love it." Charlotte had gotten a very large package in the mail a couple days ago which housed a four foot tall polar bear stuffed animal. It was soft and fluffy and huge. "I hid it in my closet."

Laughing, Graham nodded, "I saw it the second day I got here and knew it would be great for her."

"It will be."

There was a moment of silence between the married couple as darkness consumed them both in a quiet stillness. Graham didn't mind their muted conversation, knowing she was on the other line was good enough for him, but he still wanted to actually ask Charlotte how she was doing. "What about you? How was your day?"

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte answered. "Fine." She looked down to their son and then shook her head. "Well actually...no that's a lie." Quietly laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "Mom watched the kids so I could go to the grocery store later this afternoon and when I came back my shirt was soaking wet."

"Wet? What did you do? Did it rain?"

"No..." Still a little embarrassed about it, Charlotte sighed, "I was _leaking_. I hit aisle four and then it was like I flipped a switch. Ugh..." Rolling her eyes with a smirk, Charlotte looked down to their nursing son, "...and breast milk _stinks_. I had to leave my shopping cart and run out of the store with my hands over my boobs. It was terrible."

"It probably wasn't that bad." Graham wanted to throw in some sort of moral support.

"Honey...it was disastrous. Sawyer was at the house when I got back, took one look at me when I got home, and started laughing."

"That's just Sawyer."

"Maybe so, but..."

Trying to make light of the situation, Graham interrupted. "But I bet you were the best looking, sweetest, most graceful breast-leaker there was."

Laughing quietly, the twenty-eight year old mother of two shrugged. "I don't think that's a title I want to flaunt."

"I'll get Brooke to put it on a tee-shirt." Graham found himself smirking and he couldn't help it.

"Oh, don't you dare." Charlotte's eyes widened at the mere thought. Jokingly, the brunette nodded. "I'll divorce you."

Shrugging it off, Graham laughed. "I can marry you again."

Even over the phone Graham's words made Charlotte blush. "One wedding wasn't enough, huh?"

Answering with a sweet laugh, Graham did have another wedding they needed to talk about. "I was talking to Chief Johnson and he said that it looks like I'll be done around October 4th."

"So you _will_ miss that wedding, won't you?"

Crawford's Outer Banks nuptials were in September but it didn't look like Graham would be able to make his younger brother's wedding. "Yeah. The Chief said this recruiting class could cut my time here short, but from what little I've seen, these guys will take a while to get up to par."

"I'll get Sawyer to go with me or something, then. She never says no to a beach trip, and I could use the extra set of hands."

By the time September rolled around Hattie would be nearly two and a half and Scott would be right around six months. Scott could still be teething at that point which would be a fight by itself.

Feeling their son start to move away from her chest, Charlotte knew it was time to burp him and needed to end the conversation. "I've gotta go. I need to burp the baby and see if I can get him to go back to sleep."

"Alright. I'll let you go. I love you."

Smiling with the phone against her cheek, Charlotte nodded. "I love you, too. I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye."

Quietly saying goodbye, Graham's wife put the phone down and tended to their son. It had only been eight days without him, and things weren't easy. It wasn't going to be, but Charlotte would get through it. Having Graham home in October would make the wait worth it.

**OTHOTH**

Kodiak mornings were Graham's favorite. Before the sun came up, fog lingered over the horizon, leaving the sky with an opaque blanket of mist and cloud. It wasn't anything special; Tree Hill had mornings like this- when the Cape Fear would hide under a cover of fog until the morning sun burned through. That was probably why he liked it. It reminded him of home.

But Graham knew people who didn't particularly enjoy Kodiak mornings. The recruits. The seven of them who were up there training surely hated the five am time stamps Graham had come to love. Why? Because the recruits had to run a mile under seven minutes. Graham on the other hand, he was just keeping time. His running days were over. The only time he'd do it was for the annual Diligence Dash or when he was _told_ to do it. He'd rather his feet in the water than pounding on pavement. Later in the day when they got in the pool, Graham would be much more comfortable. He'd be in the water right next to the younger ones.

"Six minutes. Pick it up!" Graham watched six of the recruits run past him. One lap to go.

Chief Johnson had the clip-board in his hand and clapped it against the back of his hand. "Newman...you're behind. Kick it into gear, son!"

One of the bigger guys who was less fit than the others was struggling. "Yes sir." He nodded and pumped his arms as if to give himself a little extra gas.

"We may loose him." Chief Johnson watched the ensign run past him. He hated to cut anyone, but if they didn't make it through the physical program that was it. They'd have to try again. "He's improved over the last nine weeks...just not enough."

Graham knew it and crossed his arms over his chest. "He's got a minute to go. Maybe he'll pull through?" Optimistic, the green eyed Coastie was pulling for the young man.

The two officers watched their young recruits run the loop and Graham got ready to call them in as they crossed the finish. "Hutchinson, Grant, Salamino, Rook, Bell, Kearns..."

"Come on Newman! Get your ass over here!" LaMarcus Bell waved Judd Newman towards the finish as his other comrades joined in.

"Shannon said she'll sleep with you if you make it!"

"No I didn't!" Ensign Salamino swatted at Trent Kearns.

Chief Johnson watched as Newman made his way to the line. "Finish strong, Newman!"

The young-twenty something passed Graham at the finish and his tongue fell out of his mouth. "How...How'd I do?" He was fighting cramps and pushed his fingers into his side.

"He make it?" Carlton Rook looked to Graham hoping his buddy made it.

Graham looked down at the stop watch and then back to the group of recruits.

A guy just a little bit younger than Graham who was going through the program for the second time raised his brows towards his officer. "Tell us, Mac. What's it say?" Hutchinson had been through the cut process. It wasn't pretty.

"How'd I do? Really?" Newman knew this news was make-it or break-it.

Glancing back to the screen and then to Newman. Graham looked to the ground and then walked over to the guy. He patted his shoulder, "Six fifty six." Smiling, Graham nodded and told the guy the good news.

"Oh, hell yes! You made it Newman!" Bell high-fived his buddy and popped him on the butt. "That a way."

Chief Johnson was glad the young man made it but had to lay it out realistically. "Gotta get it down though, Newman. Gotta get it down."

"Yes, sir."

The chief looked at his watch and ordered his young recruits in line. "Shower up and meet us at the pool. Dive drills until lunch." The group of seven started to jog towards their bunks to change, and Cheif Johnson looked to Graham. "That'll give you an hour to call that wife of yours." The older man nodded at Graham with a smile.

Nodding, Graham grinned as he headed toward his temporary home. "Will do, sir." Grabbing the mail on his way in, the Lieutenant Commander ripped open the letter with a return address from North Carolina. There was something colorful on the front so he turned to the back and read Charlotte's short note as he got inside.

_It rained all day today, so we thought we'd make you something. It was Hattie's idea. Remind me to never do finger painting again, though. It was a mess! I guess since Sawyer gave the set to Hattie, I should have known it was going to be dirty. Oh well. It turned out pretty cute. Love you, Charlotte._

Graham turned the piece of paper over and studied the three images in front of him. The big handprint on the left was in a lime green color with _Mama_ underneath. The small purple one next to it said _Hattie_ underneath it, and then the tiniest little blue handprint had _Scott _just bellow the paint.

It wasn't anything extravagant, but it was sweet and sentimental. Graham couldn't help but study the three handprints in front of him. This was going up on the fridge as soon as possible.

As he looked for a magnet, Graham grabbed his phone and dialed the 910 area code. She picked up on the second ring and Graham smiled. "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." Charlotte looked at the time and furrowed her brow. "What are you doing, calling so early? Did you not have drills today?" Charlotte had grown accustomed to his 3-4pm phone calls when he got off for lunch, so now that it was only 10am her time, Charlotte was pleasantly surprised.

"We finished running sooner than normal so our break between is longer today."

"I'm glad you called."

"Me too. What's been going on so far?"

Smiling at the lack of activity, Charlotte shook her head. "Not much. I'm going to my parent's for dinner. Practically everyone will be over there, but I think that has more to do with Scott than me. Everyone wants to coo over the baby."

"He's a cute kid." Graham couldn't help but feel a little proud as he'd said it because it was true. Both of their kids were cute. Looking to the handprints, Graham grinned. "I got your letter a little while ago."

"The one of our handprints?"

"Yeah. I put it on the fridge already."

Laughing, Charlotte raised her brow, "I think mine is a little sideways."

"No...it's perfect." Graham hadn't noticed it, but Charlotte's was a little diagonal. "I wouldn't have noticed."

"Well tell me about your day. How has the morning gone? Did that Newman guy do okay?"

"As a matter of fact..." Graham nodded and ran his hand over his head. "He did. Beat the clock by four seconds."

"Talk about cutting it close."

"I know." His green eyes went wide. "I know they won't all make it by October but I think that guy has real potential. He's emotionally ready, and a good swimmer. It's just his other physical fitness that worries me."

"Can you work with him some more to get that up?" Charlotte knew Graham would if it was allowed.

"I was gonna talk to the Chief about it."

"We'll if it's any consolation I bet you can do it. I bet you can help him and he ends up at the top of the class."

Grinning, Graham narrowed his eyes. "What makes you think that?"

"You're not a bad teacher. You taught me to sail."

"But you knew about boa..."

Charlotte shook her head, cutting him off, "No...that was you. I didn't know what I was doing on a _sail_ boat. Look at me now, though. I'm a seasoned pro."

Putting his hand on his stomach, Graham couldn't help but laugh. "Only one big mistake to date."

"The one you'll never let me live down." Charlotte rolled her eyes with a nod. "But really. See what you can do with that Newman kid. I bet he'll step up his game if you work with him."

"We'll see." Graham saw the time on the oven and furrowed his brow. Their conversation had lasted longer than he'd intended. "I'm about to be late. I gotta go."

A little bummed that their conversation was cut short, Charlotte got a quick goodbye and 'I love you' in before Graham hung up. She put down her phone and looked at the vase of fresh flowers on the counter. She hadn't even had time to thank Graham for them. They'd talk later, though.

The Tree Hill June day started to fade away and pretty soon it was time for Charlotte to head over to her parents. When she got there, she wasn't the least bit surprised to see Brooke's car in the driveway already. She wasn't one to miss out on her precious baby time.

Through one of the windows, Nathan saw Charlotte pull into the driveway and he walked outside into the summer evening heat.

"Hi." Charlotte got out of the car and hugged her dad's side when he got closer.

"Happy Brithday, Char."

"Thank you." The newly turned twenty-nine year old smiled and then looked to the car. "Do you want to get him or her?"

Hattie was already looking at her grandfather through the window with those big brown eyes. He'd never been able to get past them. Not on Haley, not on Charlotte, and not on Hattie. "Her."

Laughing, Charlotte walked over to the side of the car Scott was on and started to get the carseat and diaper bag. Once she was inside, she was greeted with two smiling faces.

"Happy Birthday, honey." Haley gave her youngest a warm smile and a hug when she got the chance.

"Baby..." Brooke's eyes lit up when she saw Scott and then looked to Charlotte. "And Happy Birthday, Charlotte." Her eye went right back to the baby. Oh my gosh, he's adorable." Fawning over the eleven week old, the raspy voiced woman melted.

Charlotte happily got Scott out of the carseat and handed him to her aunt before heading into the kitchen. Julian was in the middle of making himself a drink and grinned with that crooked smile of his. "Happy Birthday."

"Thank you." Charlotte smiled and looked over to his wife. "I think Brooke thinks the baby is a party favor."

Laughing, Julian nodded. "If she tries to take him home, I'll try to stop her."

"Sounds good." Charlotte heard another 'happy birthday' tossed her way and she hugged her older brother and sister-in-law as they came inside. Jamie had just celebrated his thirty-sixth birthday last week and their youngest was about to turn six. June was a popular month for the Scotts it seemed.

A few more of the usuals showed up, and after dinner, even though Charlotte told her family she didn't need or want any presents, her parents couldn't help but get her something. Nathan had an envelop in his back pocket and when he, Haley, and Charlotte were back in the kitchen he handed it to Charlotte.

Taking the envelop, Charlotte shook her head. "I told you not to get me anything."

Haley had been rising some dishes under the sink and used a dish rag to wipe off her hands. "It's not much."

Sliding her finger through the seal, Charlotte picked out the stub of paper and looked at the ticket with curious eyes. She scanned the information and felt her heart swell. "Alaska?"

Nodding, Haley smiled. "We'll watch the kids."

Covering her mouth, Charlotte shook her head. "How...did you call up there? I don't know what his schedule is or what he'll be do..."

Smirking because his daughter rambled just like her mother, Nathan looked to Haley and then to their youngest. "I called. They're doing light training at the base for the next couple days." Turns out Nathan was pretty popular up in Alaska, too. His retired pro basketball status got him pretty far.

"How...?" Charlotte studied the piece of paper and then looked at her parents. "Thank you." She slowly walked over to her parents and threw her arms around both of them. "Thank you so much." The idea of visiting Graham had never fully been out of the question, but Charlotte knew the timing had to be perfect, and to be quite honest, it had been to hard to sit down and plan a trip out. But now that she was handed tickets, she didn't have to worry about the rest of it.

"And I'm pretty sure Brooke wants to send you up there with a new dress." Haley held her daughter close and knew that Charlotte was excited about getting the chance to see her husband.

Moving away from her parents, Charlotte let out a cute laugh and caught a happy tear with her hand as it slid down her cheek. Nathan and Haley James Scott were really something else. Her plane left in two days, and between then and now Charlotte had to get ready for Alaska.

The following day Liza came over to watch Scott while Charlotte took Hattie downtown to do a little shopping. The shopping was more for Charlotte but Brooke would enjoy the little one's company just as much as Charlotte's.

When the bell rang out as the Clothes Over Bro's door open, Brooke walked out from the back and smiled. She had on her glasses and put her hands on her hips. "Well there you are." Brooke smiled at the two brown eyed gems.

"I thought Hattie might provide some expert opinion on which one I get."

Nodding, Brooke sat down on the couch and held her hands out for the little girl. "Of course she will. If she is anything like her mama she will have impeccable taste...which by the way, I think _I _gave you." She nodded at Charlotte and then Brooke scrunched up her nose and shook her head at Hattie. "Your grandma wore some not so cute things back in the day."

"Aunt Brooke..." Charlotte laughed and started to shake her head.

Holding up her hands, Brooke shrugged, "I'm just saying...ponchos, graphic tees, denim jackets...she's come a long way."

Just laughing, Charlotte looked over the dresses she could choose from. "What can I get that can double as a dress for a beach wedding?"

"Who's getting married on a beach? Oh lord. Has Sawyer done something she hasn't told any of us old folks yet?"

"No..." Charlotte smiled and shook her head waving off Brooke. "No...it's Crawford's, Graham's brother. He's getting married."

"Oh, right." Brooke turned her head and bounced Hattie on her knee. Pointing towards the corner of the store. "There's a pretty navy dress over there."

Quickly eyeing the dress, Charlotte found her size and held it up to herself.

"Graham's not gonna know what hit him when you get to the base."

Smiling, Charlotte turned to her aunt. "You think so?"

"I know so." Brooke pressed her cheek to Hattie's forehead and nodded. She turned her attention to the little girl in her lap and pressed her cheek back to Hattie's head. Was she warm? Checking this time with the back of her hand, Brooke felt Hattie's warm forehead against her fingers. "Charlotte...has Hattie been running hot lately? She feels a little warm to me."

"No..." Charlotte walked over to her aunt and daughter. "Hat do you feel bad?"

The little girl closed her eyes and leaned into Brooke. Charlotte winced and furrowed her brow. "Maybe she's coming down with something?" Charlotte hadn't noticed anything before. Liza was at her house, and if anyone could diagnose anything, it was her. "Maybe I should head back and let Liza check her out."

Nodding, Brooke thought that might be a good idea. "Here..." Brooke held out Hattie to Charlotte. "You take her and I'll take the dress."

Charlotte did as Brooke suggested, and the two women and little girl walked out to the car. Charlotte parked on the street so the trek wasn't long. Brooke got the dress in the car just as Charlotte got Hattie in, and she leaned through the window as Charlotte started her wagon. "Let me know when you land in Alaska. I want to hear all the details about the reunion."

"I will." Charlotte nodded and waved as she pulled away from the curb. She headed home and it didn't take but a few minutes until she was in the driveway.

Liza had been expecting Charlotte to stay gone for a little while but smiled at her sister-in-law when she came through the door. "Hi."

"Hi..." Charlotte had Hattie in her arms and left the dress in the car. "I think I need your expect opinion."

"Alright..." Liza wasn't sure what she was needed to do, but she'd do it.

"Hattie was feeling a little warm at the store but I didn't know, and I thought you'd be the best person to diagnose anything." Charlotte put Hattie down and took her young son from Liza so the nurse could look at her daughter.

"Hey, Hattie. Come here." Liza picked up Hattie and pressed her lips to Hattie's forehead. It was warm. Charlotte was right about that. "When did you notice it?" Liza checked for inflamed lymph nodes.

"I don't know. Just a little while ago. She's been pretty quiet all day, but..." Charlotte shook her head. She really didn't know.

"Does anything hurt, Hattie?" Liza ran over common illnesses in her head and felt the two year old burry her head into her shoulder. Gently running her hand by the girl's left ear, Liza stopped just below the jaw. The little girl squirmed and Liza nodded. "Ear infection."

Holding the new baby close, Charlotte got worried. "That's not contagious is it?"

Liza shook her head. "If she has a fever I might keep her away from him, but...her pain will be more of the problem." Liza looked in Hattie's ear and didn't see any signs of significant infection. "Any fever reducer will help...and I know people say don't use those, but if you need to, and you're out of options, it's not the worst thing to do."

"Is there anything special I need to feed her?"

"She may not eat much." Liza rubbed her hand over Hattie's back. "If her ear is hurting then she may just want to lay down for a while." Liza could see that Charlotte was a little worried about having to handle everything so Liza offered to help. "I'll get her situated before I go."

"Really? That would be great." Charlotte would be forever grateful.

Liza put Hattie in Charlotte's bed and moved the bassinet out into the living room for now. The pediatric nurse took Hattie's temperature which was just over ninety-nine, and then administered a small does of medicine.

About forty-five minutes later Hattie was asleep, and Charlotte thanked Liza before she left.

A few hours passed and everything was going okay. Scott had been more of a handful than his sick sister, but once he got to sleep Charlotte was able to breathe for a little while. That peacefulness quickly faded though.

About nine-thirty Hattie woke up with a blood curdling cry. A two year old and an ear infection did not go well together. Charlotte knew the basics, though; she needed to sit up in bed with Hattie and let some of the fluid drain from the ear to relieve the pressure. She did and it helped a little, but Hattie was still in pain. Her fever was down which was good, but that was about the extent of good news.

Turned out Scott didn't appreciate his sister's loud antics and started to cry himself. Charlotte had him back in the master bedroom, but when she moved to get him, Hattie only yelled louder.

"Honey, I need to get him. I'll be right back. It's five feet." Charlotte wasn't going far, but she had two children who needed her.

"No!" Hattie clung to Charlotte and her grip was pretty powerful for a two year old. "No! Mama!"

A little overwhelmed, Charlotte had to think of something quick. She tried to pick up Hattie with one arm and then move over to the basinet to get Scott, but that proved much harder to do than she thought. When she got to the baby, she picked him up and moved back onto the bed.

Hattie's cries were louder but Scott wasn't going to be one upped. He started screaming just as loud and Charlotte tried to get both of them to calm down. "Shh...shh..." Charlotte held Hattie close and Scott too. "It's okay. It's okay."

It wasn't okay because neither child got quieter. Both of them turned up their volume. Overcome by the chaos that was unfolding in her arms, Charlotte's eyes started to get misty. "Hattie, let me change his diaper and I'll get you, okay?"

"No...!" The little girl didn't want to leave her mom's side.

Closing her eyes, Charlotte was doing her best not to cry right along with her kids. "Yes. I'll be right back." Somehow Charlotte moved away from Hattie enough to check on the baby boy. In record time, Charlotte changed his diaper and then went right back to Hattie. She wasn't due for another dose of medicine for a little while so they'd just have ride out the pain as best as they could.

The hours ticked by and Charlotte knew this was becoming an all-night thing. Just as Scott would get to sleep Hattie would start to whimper, or just as Scott needed feeding, Hattie needed something. It was a never-ending game of tag and Charlotte was _always_ it.

About four o'clock in the morning things finally got quiet. All three McFarlands shed tears, but at that early morning hour when the sun was just a little ways away, they were all asleep. The ordeal had exhausted them all. Hattie wore herself out from crying, Scott had just gone down, and Charlotte was asleep sideways on the bed. Hattie's little feet were by her mother's face, but it didn't even matter. Charlotte needed that sleep so badly that feet in her face were hardly anything to worry about. The only problem that came from it was that she would miss her six o'clock alarm. She'd forgotten to set it, so when she wok up at eight thirty later that morning, she knew that flight to Alaska left without her.

So much for seeing Graham.

He was busy with simulated missions with the recruits for the next few months, and their schedules weren't going to sync up again. Charlotte had missed her chance.

**OTHOTH**

September rolled around and so did that wedding. Instead of driving up to the Outer Banks with Graham like she'd done a thousand times, this trip was a little different. They weren't in his Tahoe, Mack wasn't in the back, and instead of one child they had two. Anne and Mitchell had come to Tree Hill a few times since their newest grandson had been born, but this going was to be his first trip up there.

Another first; Charlotte's companion for the trip. She'd assumed she could wrangle Sawyer for it, but instead of her best friend, it was Graham's. Ben was like a third son to the McFarlands and since he was going up there for the wedding anyway, he decided to be the one to step in and help Charlotte out- be that extra set of hands she would need. He wasn't exactly proficient in all things baby, but then again neither was Sawyer. He'd babysat a few times for Hattie and had been around Scott a bunch so he knew some basics. He was actually pretty good with kids.

Charlotte hit the lights in the bedroom after checking to make sure she she hadn't left anything, and she walked into the living room. Ben was holding Hattie hovering over Scott's carseat making funny faces at the nearly six month old little green eyed boy.

"Ready?" The twenty-nine year old looked to her thirty year old friend.

Nodding, Ben turned to Hattie, "I'm ready. Are you ready, squirt?"

"Yes!" Hattie threw up her hands and smiled. "Go now!" Her enthusiasm never faulted when it came to the Outer Banks. She loved the beach, she loved her grandparents, and she loved Crawford and Lane.

"Someone's excited." Ben set Hattie down with a laugh and looked to Charlotte. "I'll take him if you want to lock up."

Nodding, Charlotte thought that was a good idea. Knowing that Mack was already with Sawyer and Trout, Charlotte knew everything was good to go, so she locked the front door and they were off.

Ben was at the helm of Charlotte's Audi wagon and for the first thirty minutes, he acted like a big kid. There were all kinds of buttons and fancy things he liked to push and he made explosion noises when he clicked the hazard lights on and off. Hattie was entertained with her God-father's antics and laughed while Scott fell asleep the minute they pulled out of the driveway. Between stops for diaper changes and feedings, their time was extended from a normal five hour trip to six and a half.

Just as they got to Manteo Charlotte's phone started to ring and she smiled at the number on the screen. "Hello?" She didn't have to answer with a question since she knew who it was, but she liked the way it teased.

Leaning back in his office chair at the base, Graham smiled, "How's the drive going?"

"Good." She glanced to her children in the back. Both of them were asleep. "The kids are asleep." Looking to Ben with a smile, Charlotte quietly laughed. "I think Ben lulled them to sleep as he sang."

"Oh, I did. I have mad skills." Ben stopped at a red light and nodded. He leaned over towards the phone to speak to Graham. "Who can go wrong with 'Ba Ba Black Sheep'?" It was the only nursery rhyme he could think of and Hattie had sung with him until she started to doze off. Ben must have repeated it twenty times.

Smiling, Graham could only imagine what that car ride was like. "So are you close?"

"Yeah. Manteo. We're just about to go over the bridge."

Knowing the route really well, Graham nodded, "Tell Mom and Dad hello. I'll call them later tonight, Crawford and Lane too."

"I will."

"And tell Ben not to step on your toes if you two dance. He's not as good on his feet as I am." Grinning, Graham laughed, "And...well can I talk to him?"

"Sure." Charlotte handed Ben the phone.

"Je-llo?" Ben made a funny face has he said hello.

Charlotte simply laughed at Ben as he started to to talk to her husband. They were crossing over the bridge and the young mother of two looked across the water. The mid September sun reflected the emerald greens of the water off the blue sky and Charlotte took in the sights with a smile. She'd have to get a cheesy postcard from a gift shop and send it to Graham.

Ben finished up talking with his buddy and handed Charlotte the phone.

She held it up to her ear. "Hey."

"I just gave Ben the run-down."

"Oh you did?" Charlotte smiled and arched her brow.

"Yeah. No stepping on toes, no kissing...you know."

Biting her lip with a funny smile, Charlotte laughed in Ben's direction. "That crushes our plans then."

Rolling his eyes, Graham nodded, "I know."

Charlotte knew they were about to arrive at his parents' house so needed to get off the phone. "We're almost there. I'll talk to you later, alright."

"Yeah. I love you."

"I love you, too. Bye." Charlotte ended the call and put her phone back in her purse.

It only took another minute or two for Ben to pull into Mitchell and Anne's driveway. The older Mrs. McFarland came out of the front door and waved at the duo as they got out of the car.

"Charlotte..." Anne walked down the steps and hugged her daughter-in-law. "I'm so glad you're here."

"Hi, Anne." Charlotte hugged Graham's mom and nodded. "Me too."

"And Ben..." Mrs. McFarland walked over to Ben with a smile. "It's been too long since you've come up to see us."

"I know."

She hugged the tall Coastie and patted him on the arm. "We all think the world of you." Smiling, Anne nodded and then turned to the car. "Now what about those grandchildren of mine?"

"They're asleep." Charlotte looked through the glass window at her children. "Ben did a pretty good job on that."

Grinning, the blue eyed Coastie shrugged. "I'm pretty good with kids." He was. Ben was very good with kids, and it probably had to do with the fact that he was a big kid himself. He wasn't perfect and still had a lot to learn, but when it came to Hattie and Scott, Ben was practically a pro.

"Well lets y'all settled in." Anne knew there were suitcases and bags to bring in. "Let me get Mitch. He's probably out in the shed and didn't hear you pull up."

Charlotte and Ben, with the help of Mitchell and Anne, got settled in with their things and got the grandchildren inside. Scott was secure in his grandfather's arms and Hattie was sitting with Anne. While the kids were entertained by their grandparents, Charlotte went up to the bedroom she was staying in. Lane's was the biggest so Anne had set everything up in there and Charlotte only had to unpack her things. It was only going to be a four day trip, but between three people their belongings seemed to overflow.

She'd packed the navy dress she'd bought before the Alaska trip that never was, and hung it in the closet just as her phone started to ring. She didn't even have a chance to say hello before Sawyer started talking.

"So how was the trip? Y'all are there, right?"

Laughing, Charlotte nodded. "We are. We got here about twenty minutes ago." Charlotte continued to pull things out of her suitcase, and walked over to the closet again. "The trip wasn't bad."

"I take it Ben didn't make you suffer through 'Walking in Memphis'?" Sawyer would never forget the trip to meet his dad they took years ago when he made her listen to that dumb song through the whole state of Tennessee. Even if she wanted to forget about it, she couldn't.

Charlotte shook her head with a laugh. "No. He sang 'Ba Ba Black Sheep' like thirty times though. It was kinda sweet."

"I think you still should have taken me. I'd be much more fun."

Sawyer may have been more fun, but Charlotte wasn't so sure her blonde friend could handle a five plus hour car ride confined with little children.

"Next time when you..." Sawyer stopped mid sentence because someone else was calling her. She looked at her phone and sighed. "Ugh...that's Mom. I gotta go. Call me later."

"I will. Bye."

The few hours flew by fast as dinner came and went. Lane and Phillip came over for dinner with their two kids and so did Crawford and Paige. Her parents and younger brother came over as well, so dinner ended up being an informal BBQ meet and greet of sorts. They'd been dating for a while now, but it was really the first time Lane's family or Charlotte's _met_ Paige's.

Most of the conversation was about the wedding. It wasn't going to be a big-to-do; simple and plain. Crawford and Paige weren't having a rehearsal dinner or doing a formal reception. The wedding was going to match the lovebirds' style; low key. Both a part of the beach patrol, it was a wonder they weren't getting married in their red bathing suits and driving off for their honeymoon on the beach equipped ATV.

Instead, tomorrow Crawford and Paige would wear actual clothes and forego the zinc oxide that normally covered their noses. There would probably be less than forty people there, but it was all they really needed.

After Paige's family left, the McFarland household things started to die down a little. Lane and Phillip left soon after that and Paige was playing with Hattie while Anne and Charlotte started on the dishes.

"I've got another..." Crawford set a plate on the counter and kissed the top of his mom's head. "Thanks for dinner, Mom. It was good."

"I'm glad you liked it..." She smiled as she handed her son a clean plate. "Now put this up."

Anne's humor made Charlotte laugh and she looked to her brother-in-law. "So are you ready, Crawford? For tomorrow?"

"Yeah. I think so." He put up the dish and nodded with a smile and a laugh. "I think I'm already doing better than Graham was when you got married." Looking to Charlotte, Crawford nodded, "You should have seen him in that little room before he walked out to the alter."

She'd never heard this story, and never thought to ask. "Was he really that nervous?"

"He looked like he was gonna pass out."

Charlotte frowned but knew everything turned out alright. "Who made it better?"

"Not me. That's for sure." Crawford was pretty sure he told his brother, who was in his formal white uniform, that if he crapped his pants he'd be in deep shit. "Probably Dad?"

"What did I do?" Mitchell walked into the kitchen and looked in the refrigerator from something sweet.

"You gave Graham a few words of wisdom before their wedding." Crawford looked to his dad and arched his brow.

Nodding, Mitchell found a cup of chocolate pudding and pulled out two. "And I'll do the same thing for you." He patted his son on the shoulder and then got two spoons.

Ben stood up in the doorway of the kitchen and looked at Graham's brother. "Come on Crawfish, lets settle this." Catching the pudding and spoon Mitchell tossed him, Ben nodded. They were gonna arm wrestle before Crawford left.

Just as the dishes were finished, Charlotte and Anne walked back into the living room and saw Crawford and Ben in ready position. Crawford didn't stand a chance compared to Ben, but he didn't know that. Ben let him think he was winning for a little while only to slam the twenty-something's hand down.

"Ha!" Ben celebrated with a few fist pumps and gave Mitchell a high five.

"Dad!" Crawford's mouth fell open at his father. "You can't cheer for him. _I'm_ your son."

"It was close." Paige looked to Crawford and tried to lessen the weight of his defeat.

Getting up, Crawford only laughed and started to pick up his and Paige's helmet. "Yeah...yeah..."

The young couple said their goodbyes and everyone inside heard the buzz of Crawford's motorcycle as he and Paige pulled away from the driveway. The next time they all saw each other would be on the beach.

When the night faded into morning, the next day seemed to speed by because the wedding was happening before Charlotte could blink. Hattie was sitting next to Lane's daughter Caroline in the row in front of Charlotte, and the twenty-nine year old mom was holding her six month old son in her arms as the ceremony started.

When the vows came and went Charlotte couldn't help but feel herself tear up. Weddings did have the reputation of bringing tears, but Charlotte wasn't just crying happy tears for her brother-in-law. Mixed in there somewhere were sad tears. The occasion and atmosphere made her miss Graham.

Ben was sitting next to Charlotte and could tell she was upset. He pulled a handkerchief from his back pocket and handed it to her.

Smiling at Ben as she took it, Charlotte dabbed her eyes and then stood up and cheered as the couple made their way as Mr. and Mrs. up the aisle.

Just like the wedding, a small reception was taking place at the beach as well, and a band played music while guest danced in the sand. Charlotte was sitting, talking with Lane when her wedding date approached.

Ben held out his hand and nodded. "Come on."

"Oh, I don't know, Ben..." Hattie was sitting on Charlotte's lap and Graham's wife wasn't sure she was up for dancing.

Not taking no for an answer, Ben nodded more sternly. "Graham told me I _had_ to."

"Well if you _have_ to..." Charlotte put Hattie in the care of her sister-in-law, saw that Scott was content with Anne and knew she might as well dance while she had the opportunity.

Walking over to where the others were, Ben grinned and looked to Charlotte's feet. "I will really try not to break any toes."

They were both barefoot so even if Ben did step on her toes, Charlotte didn't think it would do much damage. The music was mellow and slow; an easy pace to dance to and they started to sway together as the cool breeze swept through the crowd.

Smiling at Ben, Charlotte looked into those blue eyes of his. "When are you gonna do this?"

"What? Dance? I'm trying as we speak." Ben looked down and laughed.

"No...this." Charlotte looked around and back to Ben, "...get married."

"Oh. _That_." Shrugging, Ben didn't know. "One of these days, I guess." Making it a joke, Ben looked at the sand and shook his head, "I don't think I'd do a beach wedding, though."

Charlotte couldn't picture Ben getting married on the beach either. "It's not really you."

He shook his head with smile. "I don't think my future wife would pick this spot either." Ben shrugged and looked off towards the water. "I'd have to think about it." It was also a subject he didn't want to get into. First off, he needed to find a girl that _would_ marry him. Right now he wasn't so sure he'd found her yet. Looking back to Charlotte, Ben changed the subject. "How am I doing so far?"

Softening her eyes, Charlotte nodded, "Not as good as Graham but..."

"He'll be back before you know it."

Charlotte took a deep breath. "I hope so."

Ben nodded and looked around as their conversation got quiet. The song ended and he glanced to her. "One more?"

Politely shaking her head, Charlotte declined. "Maybe in a little while."

"I'll hold you to that."

She laughed as she nodded before walking away. "Okay." Charlotte caught a glimpse of her children and knew they were fine and headed towards the water's edge. The sand was easier to walk on as she neared the surf and her footprints in the sand were washed away by the waves. She looked out across the ocean and took a deep breath as the tide crashed over her ankles. She could spend twenty minutes doing this; watching the sun go down and feeling the Atlantic rush over her skin. And it may have been twenty minutes before anyone approached her.

Dragging her toes across the salty surf, Charlotte heard footsteps.

"How's the water?"

"Warm." Charlotte answered before she'd registered the voice. Goosebumps sprinkled over her skin and her stomach jumped into her throat.

It couldn't be. She was making this up. It wasn't him, was it? Slowly turning around, Charlotte saw the blue uniform and then those green eyes.

Smiling, Graham took a step closer to this wife and put his hands around her waist. "Hey."

It wasn't until she felt him next to her that Charlotte knew things were real. Her voice escaped her and the tears forming in her eyes were inevitable.

Kissing the side of her head, Graham pulled her close. "Turns out I got away early after all."

Laughing a little, Charlotte found her voice. "I missed you." She looked up to her handsome husband and kissed the corner of his mouth before falling back into his frame.

The last five and a half months of her life and been the longest ever. He'd been gone for what seemed like forever, but now that he was here, right next to her, Charlotte wanted time to stop. She wanted life to pause so she could take it all in.

Smiling at his wife's surprise, Graham kissed her again. "I love you."

Charlotte let the hitch in her breath pass and she nodded. "I love you, too."

Mitchell and Anne were walking up to the couple with Hattie and Scott, and Graham put his arm around Charlotte as they watched Hattie squirm away from her grandfather. Graham knelt down and picked up the smiling child as she hurried over to him, putting his hat on top of her head. "Hey, Minnow."

"Daddy!" Hattie pressed her head into the crook of his neck.

The reunion between father and daughter took the air from Charlotte's lungs. She took Hattie from Graham for a second and let him hold their son. Anne gave Graham the six month old with a tear in her eye.

With the baby in his arms, Graham looked to the little boy with a smile and kissed the top of Scott's head. "He's so big." The twelve day old little boy he'd last held was growing into a cute little man.

Simply nodding, Charlotte leaned into Graham's side and watched him with their kids for a while.

It had been worth it. The sleepless nights, endless days; all of it.

They were together now and it was exactly how it was supposed to be.

**OTHOTH**

**Graham was gone, but not he's back! Yay for that. Next chapter I think I'll include Halloween and a few cute filler events that will lead to the next big event. If you guys want to see anything in particular, you know I'm all for suggestions or requests.**

**My reviewers: Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!**

**More please: Turns out nothing bad happened in Alaska, but that doesn't mean all is well. Something's coming up that could change everything. Thanks for the feedback!**

**Sara: Thanks for the review! I'm glad you liked last chapter!**

**Joan: Who Sawyer is with will remain a relative mystery until I explicity say it in her story. I feel like that's the place to include that, so only hints (or for that matter, false hints ;) ) will be in the other stories. I appreciate the feedback!**

**Review Please!**


	27. Overcoming the Past

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 27: Overcoming the Past**

**Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. Anything. Related. To. The. Show.**

**A/N: Hey y'all. Long time no update, I know. Life's been pretty crazy lately. This new chapter is set during a November holiday. The past is brought up in more ways than one, and in the second section we'll get to see Charlotte back in college. It's something I hadn't really touched on, and I thought it might be nice to visit that time in her life. Hope you like it! Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was the only one up in the house. The quiet Thursday morning was the perfect time for her to get things done before everyone came over. Graham and the kids were still asleep which meant she had the kitchen to herself without little feet, little hands, or little anything in her way. Hattie and Scott meant the world to her, but this was one of those rare occasions where Charlotte needed to focus on other things. Most notably the Thanksgiving dinner she was cooking.

For whatever reason, the twenty-nine year old offered up her house for the family get together this year. It wasn't going to be the big group like it usually was. Lucas and his family were spending time with Karen and Andy, Brooke and Julian were eating with Davis' soon to be in-laws and fiancee, so it was just going to be Charlotte's immediate family this year.

Well, them plus two Trammells.

Ben was practically Graham's brother, and when the Tennessean found himself without plans, Charlotte couldn't help but ask the Coastie to join them. Ben had been up for a Diligence patrol that was supposed to leave few days ago, but the rumbling Atlantic pushed back his departure date last minute. His plus one was a familiar face though. His dad was driving in from Memphis to visit with him, and in just a little while they'd be arriving along side Charlotte's parents, her brother and sister-in-law, and niece and nephew. There were going to be twelve people in her house when the time came, but their early dinner wasn't set to start anytime soon. That was hours from now. Right now, Charlotte was focused on prepping for dinner. Her mom was bringing a side and so was Liza, Russ was bringing a pecan pie or two, but the rest of the meal was on the the young mom.

Glancing at the list of things to do on the fridge, Charlotte took a deep breath. It was going to be a long day.

Twenty minutes of prep had passed, and then Charlotte found herself in need of another set of hands. Not little hands, but big hands. She needed Graham. Making sure the turkey got out of the fridge without a problem seemed to be a two person job.

Softly walking through the house, Charlotte made it into the master bedroom and felt her cheeks warm as her heart constricted with an undying love. Their bed was lumpy with bodies, and the brunette slowly crept towards her family. Hattie was snuggled up by the head of the bed by the pillows, and the eight month old with dark brown hair was sound asleep inbetween his sister and father. Graham was in his usual spot laying on his side. He'd probably woken up and watched the kids sleep for a while before he'd dozed off again.

Charlotte walked over to his side of the bed and sat down on the edge. She put her hand on Graham and leaned close to him. "Graham?"

Her voice made his eyes flutter open and he looked up to her with a yawn. Graham smiled at his wife, glanced at the kids, and then looked back to Charlotte. "Hey."

In a silent whisper, Charlotte kicked her head towards the door, "I need your help." She took his hand and watched him nod.

Graham slowly got out of bed, hoping not wake either of their children. He shuffled to the kitchen behind his wife and let the early morning sun guide his way. He saw the to-do list on the fridge and all the things she'd managed to cross off so far. Graham let out a laugh and shook his head. Charlotte and her perfectionist tendencies were kinda adorable.

Hearing him, Charlotte turned around, kinked her brow, and grinned, "I've managed my time well."

He took another look at the list and nodded with a smile. "What time did you get up?"

Biting her lip, the brunette shrugged. "Early."

His green eyes met her brown ones and he simply grinned again. "What do you need help with?"

"The turkey." Charlotte opened the refrigerator and eyed it. "It's really heavy."

Moving past her, Graham secured the main course and put the large pot holding the meat on the stove top. "Is it good here?"

"Yeah, thank you." She moved over to the bird and opened the lid. "I know I would have dropped it." Her eyes got wide and she shook her head. "Which is the last thing I need. I don't want to have a catastrophe the first time we have everyone over here for Thanksgiving."

Graham washed his hands and then leaned on the counter as he turned around. He caught Charlotte's eyes and shook his head. "You won't. Everything's gonna go fine."

Looking at the list of things she still had to do during the day, Charlotte took a deep breath. "Let's hope so."

He stepped closer to Charlotte and nodded, trying to reassure her.. "And 'll be here to help." Squinting, Graham winced, "But if you burn the house down..." He grinned wider teasing, and put his hands around her waist as he kissed her cheek. "You're on your own with that one."

"I _better not_ burn the house down." She laughed at the thought and could only imagine the chaos that would ensue. Charlotte glanced to her thirty-two year old husband and took a deep breath. "But you are good in a crisis, aren't you?" If there was ever anything that called for someone with a level head and a rational response, it was Graham.

"Nah..."

Charlotte nodded, "You are." Her arms draped around his shoulders and she smiled. "Remember that Thanksgiving a few years ago?" She nodded and looked straight into those green eyes of his. "I'm pretty sure you were the hero then."

He remembered. It was a day that had gone from perfect to disasterous in a matter of minutes.

_Graham rounded the corner and spotted his wife hovering over the sweat potato casserole. Charlotte thought she was the only one in her parents' kitchen and that it was a safe bet to take a few extra bites of the casserole. She was wrong._

"_Didn't you already have seconds?" A cute smile started to spread over his face as he set the dirty dishes on the counter._

_Charlotte almost jumped when she heard his voice. Her eyes got wide and she turned to face him, showing off her growing belly. The twenty six year old arched her brow and pulled the spoon from her mouth. "Maybe." One of her hands rested on her stomach and she looked down. "I think the baby likes sweat potatoes as much as I do."_

_Neither of them knew it yet, but she would. That baby would turn out like her mother in more ways than one. Brown eyes, a love of sweat potatoes, a knack for books, and heart of gold._

_Graham moved closer to his wife of just over a year, and put his hand over hers. He looked hard at her belly as if having a silent conversation with their unborn child. About this time last pregnancy things took a turn for the worst. But that was months ago. This time things were going to work out. He knew it._

_Looking back to Charlotte, Graham's eyes softened. "How do you feel?"_

_Nodding, Charlotte moved her other hand on her belly and she stuck her stomach out. "Stuffed." Laughing, the pregnant young woman smiled. "But good. I'm good." Charlotte took a deep breath, "We both are."_

_A boyfriend-less Sawyer walked into the kitchen with plates and stuck her tongue out at the lovey-dovey, starry-eyed twosome. "Ugh...how can either of you be standing after all that food?" Sawyer wasn't looking for an answer and rolled her eyes. "But you two need to scram. Mom so awesomely volunteered me for dish duty so..." Sawyer twirled her finger around Nathan and Haley's kitchen. "You two are kind of in my space."_

_Quickly getting another bite of the sweat potatoes, Charlotte walked away from the food and back to where the rest of her family was._

_Nathan was slouched on the couch next to her mom and Charlotte was pretty sure he was fighting a late afternoon nap. She found an open spot and looked around to everyone's stuffed faces as she sat. Sighing, as she sunk into her chair, Charlotte eyed her mom with a smile. "It was really good, Mom."_

"_Yeah, it was." Jamie folded his hands over his stomach and took a deep breath. "I don't want to move."_

"_But Dad! What about round two?" Eight year old Bennet held out the football he'd been tossing up and down with wide eyes._

"_Not right now, Bennet. We need to let our food settle." Liza looked to her son and then felt her youngest squirm out of her lap._

"_I play." Claire started to scoot off her mother and looked to her brother eagerly._

_Not impressed with his playing partner, Bennet huffed. Claire didn't even know how to play football. "Ugh, come on. Please?" He looked to the other adults scattered over the room. Someone had to want to play. "Anyone?" The dirty blonde, young boy caught the eye of all of his family and was sure he had convinced at least someone._

"_Give me twenty minutes, bud." Jamie leaned his head back on the couch and heard his father agree._

"_I'll be out there, too."_

"_Awesome!" Bennet held his football tightly with two hands and started to nod with a smirk. "I'll go out there and get ready."_

"_Me, too! Bennet..." Claire started to run off with her brother but Liza stopped them both._

"_Wait..hold on. Get your coats, and Bennet, walk your sister down to the swing-set, okay?"_

"_Okay..." The boy ran over to get his jacket and started to put it on as his little sister did the same._

_While kids did their own thing, Lucas put on his famous squint and shook his head with a laugh. "How does he do it?" Wanting to play a football game after eating a huge meal was beyond him._

_Haley watched her grandkids hurry to the backdoor by the kitchen and she shrugged. Looking to her thirty-three year old son, she smiled at him. "Jamie was the same way when he was little." She shot her son a grin and then looked to the rest of her family. "And I know we're all stuffed, but there's pie in the kitchen if anyone wants some."_

_With those wide hazel eyes, Peyton laughed. "I can't eat another thing."_

"_Me either." Nathan was perfectly content lounging around for a little bit longer._

_Graham looked to Charlotte and could tell that she was interested in a little dessert. He got up and looked to the kitchen. "I'll bring you a piece."_

"_Thank you," Charlotte smiled. She could see the faces on everyone around her and had to throw out a defensive, "I'm pregnant...!"_

_Graham could hear everyone laugh as he walked into the kitchen. Sawyer had her iPod in her back pocket, head phones in, and seemed to be scrubbing dishes to the same beat as the song._

_She turned to get the hand towel and was surprised to see Graham. "Jesus...!" Her shock faded quickly and she pulled her headphones out with a laugh. "A little warning next time, huh?"_

"_Sorry." Graham got a little plate from a nearby cabinet and headed over to the pies._

_Sawyer watched as Graham cut into the dessert and she shook her head. "I know she's pregnant and I guess that's a good excuse, but...I'm sorry...that's gross. How can she even still be hungry?" The fact that pregnant women never seemed to stop eating was just another reason Sawyer never wanted to have kids. Why would she want to mess up her rocking body? Sure, Pop-Tarts didn't exactly scream healthy, but goodness, at least Sawyer ate those in moderation._

"_Don't ask me." He laughed and walked over to grab a fork._

"_Well...when she..." Sawyer stopped mid-sentence and looked over her shoulder out the window. "Did you hear that...?" The blonde walked away from the sink and next to the window. There it was again, a splash, but this time it was a bigger splash. "Oh shit..."_

_Graham's eyes flew to where Sawyer's were and he dropped the plate. They'd both heard a splash alright, two of them._

_Sawyer heard the plate break against the hardwood but she hurried for the door when she saw the commotion in the pool. She struggled with the handled and was starting to panic."Fucking door! I can't get it open!" Bennet and Claire were in the pool and she couldn't even open the door to help them. Bennet could swim but Claire couldn't, and the problem with Sawyer was that she was trying to open the side of the French doors that constantly stayed locked._

_Graham hurried to the other door and ran outside as soon as he got it open. He didn't know what happened, but he saw Bennet struggling in the deep end and realized the boy was trying to get something- that something being his three and a half year old sister. Since the couldn't touch he was having a terrible time and was making the situation worse for both of them._

_Diving into the pool, Graham reached the kid without taking a breath, and immediately got Claire in his arms and rose to the surface. "I got her. Swim to the side, Bennet. Swim to the side."_

_Sawyer ran out to the poolside and looked back to the house. "Help! Somebody!" She hurried to where Graham was and lifted Claire out of the water. "What do I...is she..." Sawyer was not prepared for any of this._

_Jamie had been the first up after hearing the plate break in the kitchen, and when he walked out of the backdoor to see Bennet in the pool and his wet little girl lying by the side his heart fell. "What...what happened!" He hurried over to Sawyer and Claire and knelt down._

_Looking over to his shoulder to make sure Bennet was okay, Graham pulled himself up on the side of the pool and got out. "Move for a second, move..." Graham immediately found himself in Coast Guard mode. He checked for a pulse and leaned his ear down close to Claire's mouth._

_Jamie knew he was only going to be in the way and saw Bennet still in the pool. He moved over to the side and lifted Bennet out by the arms. The little boy started crying immediately and buried his head into his father's shoulder. "She...she just fell in. I...I tried to get her, but it was too deep." Bennet cried harder and started to shake as the cold November air swirled around them._

_Liza and Lucas were next to come out of the house, and she knew something was wrong as soon as she saw Bennet soaking wet next to her husband. Graham and Sawyer were kneeling down by the pool's edge and she couldn't see what they were doing, but her motherly instinct told her is was Claire._

_Sawyer heard Liza hurrying over, and the blonde music lover tried to stop the nurse. "Wait...wait. Don't..." Wasn't Sawyer supposed to keep the family at bay while the doctor, Graham in this situation, work on a loved one? That's what she'd seen in the movies and on television._

_Blowing right by Sawyer, Liza wasn't going to be held back by anyone. Not only was this her child, she was a nurse. A pediatric nurse who knew a thing or two about taking care of ailing kids. The youngest Mrs. Scott got down on her hands and knees and tried to tap into nurse mode but she was a mom first. "Claire...baby..."_

"_She swallowed a lot of water..." Graham got ready to administer CPR and had to remember he was dealing with a very small person._

_Jamie saw his mom and dad walk towards them and barked out orders in the midst of the chaos. "We need towels. Get some towels."_

_Haley stood motionless as a sense of deja-vu rushed over her body. Flashes of memories from when they'd found Jamie face down in the pool started to plague her mind. Nathan hurried back inside to get towels while the others stood helplessly watching the events unfold. It didn't take but a second for everyone who'd been inside to figure out what had happened outside._

_Graham slowly breathed into the little girl's mouth and lightly pressed into Claire's chest. Because of her size, he wasn't supposed to press any deeper than two inches._

"_Come on, Claire..." Liza was at a loss. Any medical know-how had fallen out of her head, and the only thing she was concentrating on was her child. Never in a million years did Liza think she'd ever have to come to the aid of one of her own children- not like this any way. Putting on a band-aid was one thing, but administering mouth-to-mouth was something else completely. Thank God Graham was here._

_Hearing a gurgle, the Coastie tilted the pre-schooler on her side and breathed a sigh of relief as Claire started to cough up water. She hadn't been under that long, but when Bennet had tried to save her, he'd accidentally made his sister swallow more water than if she'd been on her own._

_Cold, wet, and scared out of her mind. Claire opened her eyes and started crying. Liza scooped the small child into her arms. Someone handed her a towel and she wrapped up her daughter and held her close._

"_Is...is she okay?" Bennet's tears were streaming down her face and he used the palm of his hands to wipe them away. He felt so bad, that it was all his fault. His young body was shaking and Jamie started to rub his son down with a towel._

_Feeling Claire's soaking body seep through the towel and onto her clothes, Liza pressed her cheek into her youngest's blonde hair with a nod._

_Graham put his hand on Liza's back, and the two of them exchanged glances as the Coastie stood up._

"_Graham, here." Haley had more towels and handed a couple to her son-in-law. "I'll get you some dry clothes." She looked to Peyton and wanted her help in gathering clothes for the kids too. They had some clothes for when they stayed at their grandparents house upstairs, and Nathan had something Graham could wear._

_With Liza tending to Claire, and Jamie tending to Bennet, Graham wrapped a towel around his waist and another over his shoulders. He started to walk inside to dry off and felt Sawyer pat him on the shoulder. "Holy crap, Graham..." Her words were filled with praise, but Graham didn't listen. On the job or even today, he never did what he did for the honor or glory. He did it because he cared and because stepping in and saving a life wasn't something he ever had to think it about. It was a natural as music was to Peyton, writing was to Lucas, clothes were to Brooke, singing was to Haley, and basketball was to Nathan._

_He walked to the downstairs bathroom and figured he could start to get out his wet clothes in there, but was surprised to see someone already in there._

_Dabbing her eyes, Charlotte was sitting on the closed toilet lid. She looked up to her clothes-soaked husband with a hitch in her breath. "Is...is Claire okay?"_

_Seeing Charlotte's emotional state, Graham slowly approached her and nodded. He knelt down to get eye-level with her. "She's alright. Are you alright?"_

_Charlotte nodded. She'd just been overcome with emotion as she witnessed what happened outside. Feeling her eyes well with tears at the good news, Charlotte sighed. "And Bennet?"_

"_He's fine." Graham could see the fear she'd held for those few minutes and put his hands on the sides of her thighs. "Everyone's gonna be alright."_

_Nodding, Charlotte blinked and let her tears drip down her cheeks. "I just...when I got out there and saw you leaning over Claire...," Charlotte breathed deeply and shook her head. "I couldn't...I thought she was..." Not wanting to finish her thought. The pregnant Mrs. McFarland sighed. "I couldn't see that." She and Graham lost a baby just over six months ago and Charlotte wasn't ready to face tragedy like that again. Not for her, and certainly not for her brother and sister-in-law. "I had to get away..."_

_He got it. Graham knew it must have been hard to watch. He'd been busy in the middle of the action to really take it in, but for any of the onlookers, it had to be a scary sight._

_Charlotte's pregnancy sparked her emotions to the highest extreme, so when she put her hands on Graham's cold wet clothes, it spurred her next cry. "And you're soaking wet..."_

_Furrowing his brow. Graham felt bad she was so upset and he leaned over to kiss her. "I'm fine, Charlotte." He looked to his wet clothes and shrugged. He tried to make light of the situation. "You know how much I like the water."_

_That got a small smile from her and Charlotte dabbed her eyes one last time and took a deep breath. "I love you."_

_Kissing Charlotte just above her brow, Graham smiled. "I love you, too."_

Graham's memory faded as he felt their five and a half year old golden retrieve bump into his leg. He looked down at Mack and smiled at the dog. "I bet this means one of the kids is up."

Mack had a knack about telling the parents things they didn't know. He found hidden sippy cups, seemed to predict when Hattie or Scott would wake up, and even slept between the kids' doors as if to protect them from anything.

Rubbing, on Mack's head, Charlotte nodded. "Probably."

Graham knew Charlotte was good on her own in the kitchen and he started back for the bedroom. Just like they thought, Graham saw Scott sitting up in the middle of the bed. Little green eyes found his father's bigger ones and the boy smiled.

Grinning, Graham got on the bed and moved closer to the eight month old. "Hey, Sailor." He nuzzled his nose into Scott's cheek, "Ready or your first Thanksgiving today?" Mumbling in baby language, Scott seemed to answer his father. Listening steadily to his son and glancing at Hattie who was still fast asleep, Graham knew the day would play out well. Even if things did go disastrously, it wouldn't matter. Aside from Charlotte actually burning down the house, nothing could take away this precious time with his kids and family.

**OTHOTH**

Later in the afternoon The McFarland house was full of people and conversation. With Russ Trammell having all kinds of stories about his Tennessee farm, everyone enjoyed listening to new things and experiences they didn't have in Tree Hill. He was a breath of fresh air, and his homemade pecan pies gave Haley a run for her money when it came to desserts. Whoever said baking was a woman's job obviously hadn't tried one of Doctor Trammell's pies. His secret was all in the nuts, he claimed. Coming straight from the trees that lined his property, he said the best pecans hailed from Memphis. Considering there wasn't one crumb left of his pie, he may have been right.

The other food had been great as well. Charlotte managed to do a pretty good job for her first Thanksgiving. She'd put a little too much salt in the green bean casserole but it was still edible. Her mom's sweat potato casserole had been just as good as it ever was, and there were only two of Liza's deviled eggs left. The incredible amount of food they'd started out with seemed to vanish as the dirty dishes started to pile up. Hattie and and five and half year old Claire were sitting on the living room floor putting together a floor puzzle, Nathan had Scott in his arms making funny faces at his youngest grandchild, and ten year old Bennet was convinced it would be cooler to be a veterinarian than a professional basketball player.

"So like...how do you operate on a...horse?"

"Oh well...it's simple really." Russ smiled at Jamie's son and clasped his hands together. "It's all about the approach." He glanced at Liza and held out his hand. "Your mom's a nurse. She'd probably tell you the same thing. You've got to be kind and gentle with the patient, no matter if it's a person or an animal. They want to know your taking care of them."

"Sometimes they get rowdy though. Tell them about the time you had to wrestle that pig at the Gentry's place a while back." Ben looked to his father with a laugh and got up to see if Charlotte needed help in the kitchen.

"You wrestled a pig?" Bennet's eyes got wide. That sounded like fun.

"I guess you might call it that." Russ' southern drawl was filled with smile as he started to tell the story.

As his father started to recall the time he chased down a pig named after the grocery story chain, Piggly-Wiggly, Ben headed into the kitchen. He saw Charlotte pilling dishes into what looked like categories: casserole dishes, plates, and silverware. "What do I need to help you with, Charlotte?"

Turning to smile at her husband's best friend, Charlotte shook her head. "Nothing. I'm not even starting these until everyone's gone." She could tell he was wondering while she was pilling things up accordingly then. "Don't ask why. I think it will be easier to do it this way later." She laughed and shrugged her shoulders.

"Alright..." Ben started to smile. He looked to where everyone was sitting and then back to Charlotte. "Thanks for having us."

"Sure, of course." Charlotte waved his thanks off. "I'm kinda glad you didn't leave for the patrol." Smiling, the mother of two looked towards Ben's father. "I think your dad is the hit of Thanksgiving."

"Yeah, he tends to have that kind of appeal." Ben grabbed a roll and knew he shouldn't eat another one, but he wanted to. "Everyone kinda gravitates towards him."

Smiling, Charlotte could think of someone who seemed to do the same. "Kinda like you, huh?"

"Me?" Ben shook his head with a laugh. "No, I just try and have a good time. You know, make everyone laugh. Dad...he's never met a stranger in his life."

Whether he saw it or not, Ben was just like his father in that way. He could make even the worse or most awkward situations better, practically turning night into day. How could anyone ever forget the time he showed up to her parent's Christmas Eve party in a Santa hat? Or how about the fact that he more or less tamed the shrew?

Wiping her hands, Charlotte glanced up to Ben with a smile. "Either way, I'm glad you both came."

Charlotte and Ben walked back towards the group and everyone continued to visit for little while longer. Jamie and Liza and their two left first. Nathan and Haley didn't last much longer. Scott fell asleep in his grandfather's arms, and after the retired basketball player put Scott in his crib, he and Haley headed home. Before Russ left, he made an offer to help with the dishes but like she'd done with Ben, Charlotte told him she was gonna wait a little while until she got cracking on those things.

When the house was quiet again, Charlotte and Graham found themselves on the couch watching _Mickey Mouse Clubhouse_ with Hattie. Graham heard Scott start to cry through the baby monitor.

"Already?" Charlotte was surprised their son didn't sleep longer. It had only been about an hour. She'd planned on getting the dishes done while Hattie was busy with her cartoon friends and while Scott was asleep.

Graham knew that was her plan, too. He got up and then helped his wife up. "Why don't I do the dishes and you take the kids? You've been in the kitchen all day."

"It's a lot of dishes..."

That was okay. Graham wasn't scared of a little soap and water. "I'll manage. It might be nice for you to get out of here for a little while."

It would be nice. The weather wasn't too cold. She could take the kids to the park just down the street. "Yeah...I think I will." Charlotte moved away from Graham and headed up the stairs to get their son. When she came back down, Charlotte had Scott dressed and ready, and told Hattie where they were going. The little girl had a particularly fond appreciation for the purple slide at the park and was super excited to go. Before they left, Charlotte walked into the kitchen and saw that Graham was already getting underway with the dishes. "We'll be back later."

Nodding as he rinsed a plate under the hot water, the Coastie nodded. "I might come out there when I'm done."

"Kay..." Charlotte kissed him and walked to the door with their two small children. As soon they walked outside, the fresh hair was a welcomed friend. She'd been surrounded by food all day, so the late fall air against her skin was like catching a second wind. Literally.

Once the three of them were settled in her Audi wagon, Charlotte drove a few blocks towards the park. As she passed house after house, she could see the cars pilled in the driveways and on the streets. There was something heartwarming about seeing families getting together to celebrate the holiday.

Charlotte pulled into the small parking lot that lined the park and she got the kids out. Scott had fallen back asleep but was perfectly content in his stroller. Hattie sprinted off to the slides as soon as her feet hit the ground. The park was pretty sparse when it came to other visitors so there were plenty of open benches, and Charlotte headed towards the one that was closest to where Hattie was playing. But before she made it all the way there, someone caught her eye. It had been years since she'd seen him last. Charlotte angled the stroller and decided she might say hello. It was the least she could do.

Looking up from his book to check on his nieces, Will spotted a familiar face walking his way. She looked the same as she had in high school. Standing up, the dark haired lawyer smiled.

Smiling with those warm brown eyes, Charlotte nodded. "Hi, Will."

"Hey, Charlotte." He kicked his head towards to bench. "Here. Sit down."

Taking a seat, Charlotte parked the stroller next to her. The last time she saw Will was back when she was dating Graham. Will had come back into town right around the time she and Sawyer brought Mack and Trout home as puppies. And actually, Charlotte was pretty sure she'd gotten drunk the night they ran into each other so she wouldn't have to think about what they'd had and how it had ended.

There was a quiet moment between the two of them and then Charlotte looked to her high school sweetheart and to the baby in the stroller. She noticed Will was looking at the baby. "This is Scott and that..." Charlotte pointed out the the little girl by the purple slide. "And that's Hattie."

Nodding, Will knew she had two kids. "Mom told me she bumped into you the other day."

"She did. We always see each other at the store." Lorraine Browning was an incredibly kind woman. She always treated Charlotte like a part of the family even if she hadn't dated her son in nine years. "Are you here with Addie's kids?" Charlotte knew Will's older sister had two young girls.

"Yeah." Just like Charlotte had done. He pointed to them. "Rainey is over there and Mary Douglass is swinging."

"I take it you brought the girls here to get them out of the house?"

Will nodded with a laugh. "Mom and Addie were trying to clean up, and the girls kept making messes."

"So you're the brave one to take the girls?"

"I guess so." He laughed and looked to his nieces. With his dad and brother-in-law busy watching football, he didn't really have much of a choice. "They're pretty good for me though."

"Well of course. You're probably _cool_ Uncle Will who takes them to the...park and gets ice cream."

Grinning, Will sat back against the bench and nodded his head laughing. "I did tell them we'd get candy afterwards."

Charlotte knew Will well. But that's kinda how it was when you spent as much time together as they had when they were younger. They'd dated throughout high school, and even a little into college. First love, first kiss, first time- first everything. They'd broken up and gotten back together more than a handful occasions, and if you'd asked Charlotte ten years ago who she was going to marry, it would have been him. They were the quintessential couple who were destined for greatness and a future together. Clearly that didn't happen, though.

"So what's going on with you? Are you in New York still?"

"Actually...they just transferred me to Providence."

Providence, Rhode Island. Charlotte looked away from Will and shook her head. "Of all places, huh?" That had been the place where that future of theirs which had seemed so certain fell apart at the seems.

"Yeah, I know." He took a deep breath and felt his heart sting a little. He looked to his sister's kids and nodded. "It was always a nice place, though. I figured I could start fresh this time."

Thinking about her college town made Charlotte's heart ache. Not for her, but for him. She'd been the one to squash their future.

_Charlotte's dorm room at Brown started to smell like popcorn as the microwave dinged. The twenty-year old sophomore was having a nice night in. While others enjoyed spending their Friday nights out, Charlotte Scott opted for a movie night by herself. She was in a pair of old sweats, her hair was up, her glasses were on, and there was a blackhead strip secured on her nose. ABC Family was showing Titanic and Charlotte had picked up a book from the library, too. She had more than enough to keep her entertained._

_An active residence councilor in East Andrews Hall, Charlotte wouldn't be surprised if a few of the freshmen girls stopped by her room to join in on the Titanic fun. Then again, it was the start of the weekend. Her residents could have more exciting plans._

_Just as Charlotte got settled, there was knock on her door. Hoping off her bed, the young brunette opened up her door and saw two familiar faces, but they weren't residents._

"_What are you wearing?" Sawyer moved past her cousin and walked into Charlotte's room._

_Surprised, Charlotte watched Sawyer walk in and looked to the guitar case holding guy who'd come along. "Dillon, Hi..."_

_Sawyer scrunched up her nose and held out her hands. "Why aren't you dressed?"_

"_Um..." Charlotte let Dillon in and looked to the two Berklee students confused. "What are you two doing here?"_

"_I'm playing a show tonight."_

_Sawyer nodded. "I called you about it. Dillon's playing downtown."_

"_What?" Between the many phone calls with her cousin, Charlotte was sure Sawyer never mentioned that. "No...you didn't."_

"_Well I thought I did. You won't care if we crash here tonight, will you?" Sawyer knew Charlotte had a blow-up mattress they could use._

"_Uh..." It seemed like information was flying at her at a million miles an hour._

"_Please. I don't want to drive back after the show. Plus...I plan on drinking and I know you don't want us to drive back to Boston after..."_

"_Fine." Charlotte was going to get talked into this no matter what. "But we have to be discrete about it. I didn't submit a guest form so..."_

"_Uh-oh...is Charlotte actually breaking the rules." Dillon started to grin at his girlfriend's cousin. He knew that of the two, Charlotte was the goody two-shoes._

"_Dillon, shut up." Charlotte never liked the guy and wasn't even sure why she was letting him stay. He was bad news, but Sawyer never seemed to want to hear it._

_Holding up his hands, Dillon apologized. "Sorry, I was just joking."_

_Glancing to Sawyer, Charlotte arched her brow. "So you're gonna want me to come to this thing, aren't you?" Seemed her night in with Titanic was a no-go._

"_It'll be fun." Sawyer nodded. "And...who knows, you might even find a cute guy downtown." _

_Finding a cute guy was the last thing she wanted to do. Currently she was...single, but it didn't come without complications. She and Will had been talking again lately. They'd had a good run in high school, broke up before graduation because of the ten hour distance between their schools, but after a year apart, they were kinda-sorta headed towards being a couple again. It was still very much up in the air. There were pros and cons to getting back together, and Charlotte just wasn't sure._

"_When do we need to leave?" Avoiding Sawyer's statement, Charlotte was more concerned with the amount of time she had before they headed downtown._

"_An hour or so."_

_Nodding, Charlotte picked out some clothes, headed into the bathroom, and got ready as fast as she could. She could hear Dillon singing through the bathroom wall and even if she hated the guy, Charlotte couldn't deny the fact that he was actually good. And it didn't surprise her at all to see the two music lovers making out when Charlotte walked out of the bathroom. In an off-beat, musically intertwined way, Sawyer and Dillon were pretty cute together._

_Clearing her throat, Charlotte got the love birds attention._

_Looking up, Sawyer started to smirk. "Ready?"_

"_Yep." The brunette nodded, grabbed her purse and Dillon put his guitar back in its case. After locking up, the threesome made their way downtown. _

_When they got to the bar, Charlotte watched Sawyer and Dillon head to the back to set up. Charlotte found a pair of seats for herself and Sawyer, and sipped on a Coke while she waited for her cousin to return. The X on her hand limited her choice of drinks, but she didn't see the point in acting older than she was._

"_Anyone sitting here?" A guy sat down and smiled at the beautiful girl he'd spotted across the bar._

"_Actually...yes."_

"_That's a shame."_

_Charlotte tried not to laugh, but was this guy actually trying to pick her up? Yep. She wasn't going to tell him she wasn't with another guy, but shrugged her shoulders. "Sorry."_

"_Maybe next time, then?"_

"_Maybe." She watched him get up and was glad he'd stopped pursuing her at that point._

_Sawyer made her way over to Charlotte and sat down with a grin. "Look at you. I'm gone for two minutes and you already have a guy hitting on you." The blonde nudged her cousin with a grin. "That a way, Charlotte."_

_Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "Oh yeah...something to be proud of."_

"_Hey...one of these days when we're old and and ugly, you're gonna want to remember nights like this."_

_The things that came out of Sawyer's mouth sometimes... Charlotte just laughed and watched as the lights started to fade. The opening act was about to come on._

_Between the girl's the five song set, Charlotte and Sawyer had been sent drinks by two guys and Charlotte had three guys pass her their numbers- one upping her cousin._

"_Remind me never to sit with you." Sawyer laughed at the pieces of paper in front of Charlotte and downed the last of her drink before she got up. The music lover was going to see Dillon before he took the stage, leaving Charlotte to fend for herself again._

"_So I saw that your with a girlfriend of yours..." The same guy who'd come up to Charlotte earlier sat in Sawyers seat._

_Taking a deep breath. "Well you weren't specific when you asked."_

_Laughing, the guy smiled. "You're right." He looked at Charlotte and tired to peg her major. "You're political science, right?"_

"_Me? No."_

"_English?"_

_Charlotte eyed the guy and shook her head. "Education."_

_He nodded and could imagine her as a teacher. "That was my next guess."_

_Laughing, Charlotte nodded. "Mmm-huh. And you're what...physics?"_

"_Molecular Biology." He shrugged, "And I know what you're thinking...who wants to stare at a microscope all the time..."_

_Charlotte shook her head with a shrug, "Everybody's different, I guess."_

_Sawyer walked back to her chair and gave the guy a pat on the shoulder. "Hey pal, you stole my seat."_

_Getting up, the guy kept his eyes on Charlotte. "I'm Jack, by the way. Maybe I'll see you after the show?" He held his hand out with a smile._

_Charlotte slowly shook his hand and tired to figure out if this guy was one of the good ones or the bad ones. "Charlotte."_

_Nodding, Jack started to move away from the table. "I'll see you around, Charlotte."_

_Eyeing the semi-cute, nerdy looking guy, Sawyer turned to Charlotte. "He seems cool."_

_Charlotte shrugged and heard the crowd applause as Dillon walked onto the stage. He introduced himself and started playing his first song. Sawyer from then on was only paying attention to the guy with the guitar leaving Charlotte with her thoughts. Maybe this Jack person was one of the good ones? Weren't molecular biologists the ones who tried to find cures for cancer?_

_During Dillon's last song, Charlotte told Sawyer she was gonna head back to the dorm. Sawyer and Dillon could take a cab back, so the younger Scott made her way through the sea of bar patrons and walked by Jack on the way out._

"_Charlotte..." He stopped her and furrowed his brow. "Already leaving?"_

"_Yeah. I'm supposed to supervise a dorm breakfast in the morning."_

_Jack walked with Charlotte towards the door. "So you're an RA?"_

"_Yep."_

"_I did that last year in the Archibald House."_

"_Really?" Surprised, Charlotte was starting to think maybe he really was one of the good ones._

"_Unit Four." He nodded. "Maybe I'll stop by...which one are you in?"_

"_East Andrews."_

"_Alright, yeah. Maybe I'll stop by."_

_Nodding, Charlotte walked to the door and turned around, "Maybe you should." She smiled at Jack and walked out of the bar with a blush shading her cheek. Jack was pretty cute._

_On the ride back to the dorm, Charlotte couldn't help but think about this new guy. Jack was something new and interesting. From what she could tell he was a year older with a good head on his shoulders. Not everybody could do molecular biology. Should she be judging him simply from his major, probably not, but it was all she really had to go on._

_After paying the cabbie, Charlotte walked to the front doors of East Andrews and slid her key card through the slot. The doors unlocked and she walked into the lobby with a grin._

"_Charlotte?"_

_Turning at the sound of her name, the brunette saw someone who was supposed to be at Washington and Lee. "Will..." Her mouth fell open a bit and she walked over to him. "How...wha..."_

"_Someone let me in after I told them who I was." He smiled her way and shoved his hands in his pockets. "I wanted to come see you."_

_It was a ten hour drive from Virginia and Charlotte's eyes widened. What was up with surprise visits today?_

_He could see it in her eyes that she'd been caught off guard. "I was gonna call but I figured if I just got on a plane and came up here..."_

"_You flew?" Charlotte's breath was sharp against her chest._

_Will nodded. "I love you."_

_Charlotte wasn't ready for this. What was he doing here? Weren't they playing things by ear for now? "Wait..wait...lets go to my room." She led him to the elevator and aimlessly stared at the doors until they opened. If they were going to have this conversation she wanted to be somewhere a little more private._

"_Which one?" Will looked at the buttons and waited to hear which one to press._

"_Three." Charlotte hadn't noticed the backpack he had with him until they were riding up to her floor. She swallowed hard and took his hand when the doors opened. She took him to her door, unlocked it, and walked in. Will saw the other bags on the floor, and Charlotte saw the wonder roll across his face. "Sawyer and Dillon are in town. He's playing a show downtown."_

"_That's where you were coming from?"_

_Charlotte nodded. "Yeah." She put her purse down and turned on two lamps as asked Will to turn off the terrible florescent overhead light. He did and put his backpack down. _

_The boy she'd loved since she was sixteen was standing in her dorm room six hundred miles away from where he was supposed to be._

_They were quiet for a minute and then Will walked close to Charlotte. "I think we can make this work." He was standing in front of her and took a deep breath. "I know it will be hard with you being here and me in Lexington, but..."_

_Charlotte raised up and softly kissed him. It was one of those sweet pecks that tended to linger a bit. _

_It felt like they were back to where they'd been in high school. Will pulled her closer, kissing her again but then Charlotte backed away._

"_Will..." She moved away and shook her head. Raising her hand to her mouth, Charlotte touched her lips and it was as if his lips left a sting of regret and pain on hers. But it wasn't her lips that were really hurting, it was her heart. In that moment she knew. They'd run their course. _

_But he'd come all this way! Which made this so much harder, but what was she supposed to do? She had to be honest with herself and with him. After that kiss and realizing there were others out there who could make her happy, Charlotte faced an impossible task. It wasn't going to be easy and both of them were going to get hurt. __She could hardly even look at him, but when she finally did move her eyes to his, Charlotte saw the hurt on his face. _

_He could see the answer in her eyes, but there had to be a way to persuade her otherwise. "I know we've had differences, but I love you, Charlotte. Spending the last year in different states made me realize how wrong we were to break up. I think we thought we couldn't handle the distance, but we can. I know we can."_

_Feeling her eyes well, Charlotte shook her head. "I...I can't."_

_Looking much like a lost puppy, Will's heart sank. "You don't love me anymore."_

"_No, I do. Of course I do." Charlotte Scott would always love Will Browning. There would always be a spot for him in her heart. "I just..." She flicked a tear away and shrugged. That last kiss had been the proof she'd been wondering about for a while now. "I'm not...in love with you." She thought she still was in love with him, but now she knew the truth._

_There it was. The knife in his chest and the air from his lungs._

_Hearing herself say that had been the worst part. Her quivering chin was made it hard to speak. "I thought we were just talking about getting back together...not actually doing it yet." Charlotte sighed. "I wasn't ready for you to show up." The brown eyed girl had a feeling her mind wouldn't have changed had any more time passed, but she wasn't going to say that right now._

_Will had simply hung his head. How did he take news like this? What was she saying? That the future he saw with her wasn't going to happen? How did he process news like this?_

_His quietness was making Charlotte worry. "Will..."_

_Clearing any emotion from his throat, Will picked up his backpack and headed for the door. He swiped his hand over his face and took a deep breath._

"_Wait...Will..." She got up from her bed and watched him walk out of her room. "Will..."_

_He kept straight down the hallway and didn't bother with the elevator. Will disappeared behind the staircase door and Charlotte heard the echo of the door click as it shut behind him._

_Never in her life had Charlotte felt so terrible. Stumbling over to her bed, she laid down and started to cry. Was she a terrible person? She sure felt like it. Never in her life had she ever seen someone look so devastated as he had._

_That night she cried herself to sleep. From then on, Charlotte would constantly have an ache in her chest when she thought about him. Not because she'd made a mistake, but because Will deserved the kind of life he'd pictured for them; but without her, he may not try to find it._

"So what about you? Are you still teaching?"

Charlotte's mind came back to present day and she looked at the guy next to her. "Huh?" Will asked her again and Charlotte shook her head. "Not right now." Glancing to the baby and to Hattie, Charlotte smiled, "I thought I'd take some time off for them."

"And Jamie? ?" Will had gone to Jamie's wedding with Charlotte and always liked her older brother. "Has he made it as a big-time sports writer?"

Smiling at the fact that he even thought to ask, Charlotte nodded, "Sports Illustrated just asked him to do be a contributing basketball columnist."

"Really...that's great. I had a feeling he'd get there one day." Will watched Rainey cross the mokeybars. "And I take it Sawyer's still doing Red Bedroom with your aunt."

"She wouldnt' have it any other way." Charlotte laughed with a nod.

"Is she still dating that guy she was with when I saw y'all last time?"

Taking a deep breath, it was going to be rather hard to explain the trainwreck that was Sawyer and Ben. "Well...it's..."

"Daddy!"

Charlotte turned at Hattie's voice and saw Graham scoop their little girl up. He must have finished with the dishes.

Will had gotten up and waved over his nieces. "Rainey, Mary Douglass, come on guys. Ready for candy?"

The girls sprinted over to Will and he nodded at the woman sitting on the bench. "It was good to see you, Charlotte."

"You too, Will. Tell you family I say hello." She watched him walk away and felt her chest start to ache.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte stood up and pushed the stroller towards her husband and daughter. Graham had Hattie on his shoulders and Charlotte walked over to them with a smile.

Glancing at the stroller, Graham laughed. "Did he fall right back to sleep?"

"Yeah."

Laughing at the eight month old's tactics, Graham squeezed Hattie's legs."Who do you want to ride home with, Minnow? Me or Mom?"

"You!"

Charlotte knew Hattie's answer before Graham asked the question, and the four of them made their way to the cars. It took all of three minutes to get back home. Scott woke up and was the only one really hungry for much of anything as the afternoon turned to evening. Hattie barely touched her dinner and Charlotte and Graham were still full from earlier.

It didn't take long for the kids to fall asleep from the day's activities and pretty soon Charlotte and Graham found themselves in bed, too. Charlotte watched her Coastie slide in bed next to her, and she smiled.

Notcing her quiet demeanor that had been with her since they'd come home from the park, Graham furrowed his brow. "Are you okay?"

She had a feeling he might ask that. Nodding, Charlotte rolled onto her side and faced him. "Did you see me talking to that guy when you got to the park?"

"Yeah." He hadn't really paid much attention, but knew she'd been sitting next to someone.

"It was Will."

Graham didn't recognize the name at first. "Will who?"

"Browning. My high school boyfriend."

Graham had met the guy once. "Was he there with his kids?"

"His nieces." Charlotte closed her eyes and opened them back up to see Graham's green eyes. "I've only seen him twice since we dated but every time I do...I feel like a terrible person."

"What...?" Graham laughed a little and reached out for her. "Charlotte, that's..."

"No, I do." She nodded, "I can't help but have a heavy heart around him because I know I broke his."

"That was a long time ago."

"And I don't think he's had a legitimate relationship since." Granted, Charlotte wasn't around Will to know if that was even true, but it seemed to be the case. And that was a shame, Will was too good of a guy to not have found a girl by now.

"You can't blame yourself for that, though."

"I just..." Charlotte didn't really know how to explain it. "Maybe I feel responsible or something?"

Graham looked into Charlotte's worried eyes. "I'm sure he has his own reasons. Maybe he decided to be a career guy? Maybe he decided he didn't need someone? He could have a girlfriend and you just don't know." Graham shook his head and smiled. "I don't think I'd get caught up in it."

It was in her nature to worry. She and Will didn't leave on good terms, and it was the times she ran into his mom at the store or saw him back in town that made her feel like a terrible person.

Graham could tell what she was thinking and he leaned closer. "You're a good person, Charlotte. You always will be." He leaned over to kiss her. "And I love you."

Feeling a little bit better, Charlotte looked at the man across from her in bed and nodded. "I love you, too."

She'd been lucky to find him when she did. It was chance meeting on a hot summer day that was turning into a lifetime together. Everyone had a different story. Charlotte and Graham had theirs, her parents had theirs, Sawyer had one, Jaime had his, and Will Browning was probably on his way to finding his. Some things fell into place faster than others, but in the end it would all work out. It always did.

**OTHOTH**

**There you go guys. We got to see Graham in Coast Guard action outside of work. We saw a little bit of Charlotte in college and her old high school flame back in town. Next chapter jump a lot of time. This chapter only spanned one day, so I'll cover a lot more time next update. As it stands now, the big chapter will likely be chapter 30! Things are going to be shaken up big-time for the characters in this story.**

**My reviewers: Thanks for the feedback, guys. You know those reviews encourage me to write.**

**Joan: Sorry for freaking you out last chapter. False alarm. Can't say that wasn't a bit of foreshadowing, though. I'm glad you liked seeing Charlotte on her own. Ben's always fun to write, so I'll try to put him in this story when I can. I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!**

**Review please!**


	28. As Fate Sets its Course

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter's**

**Chapter 28: As Fate Sets Its Course**

**Disclaimer: I STILL don't own anything related to the show. **

**A/N: Here we go guys. Here's the next chapter for Charlotte and Graham. Last time it was Thanksgiving and now it's March and will span into September. Scott's one, Hattie starts the story almost three and by the end she'll _be_ three, Davis is getting married, and things are falling into place. But something's lurking on the horizon that might just make everything fall _apart_. *And, if you read Sawyer's story you may want to hold off on this chapter because it is SPOILERISH for her. Your decision, but you may want to wait if you can or want to. No mention of "sushi guy" or anything, but something big is set up. Other than that note, enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

The noise from the hairdryer muffled the noise coming from the other side of the bathroom door. While Charlotte was getting ready for lunch with the women in her family, Graham was playing with the kids on the bed. Pillows were being flung and little children were pushed into covers with belly laughs that were contagious. Horsing around was kinda fun.

"Daddy, me!" The nearly three year old little girl stood up with a smile. Her dad was going to push her into the pillows and she was excited. "Sott move!" She looked at her little brother and wanted him to get out of the way.

Laughing, Graham shook his head, "Hold on a sec, Minnow. He's a little bit slower than you are." Reaching over to pick-up his one year old son, the father of two got the boy in his arms. "Come here, Sailor. We don't want your sister falling on top of you."

Hattie was anxiously waiting to get pushed into the pillows. Something about the rush of excitement had the little girl in a happy daze. "My turn."

Graham pushed his oldest into the pillows and loved the way she laughed. He held Scott over the comforter and pillows, dropping the boy with a grin. Grham watched the dark haired, green-eyed one year old smile and roll over for more.

In the bathroom away from the madness, Charlotte tried to hurry up and finish getting dressed. She knew she didn't have a lot of time until Sawyer got there, and after that they would still be in a rush. The young women had to swing by Clothes of Bro's to grab their dresses for Davis and Amelia's wedding tomorrow, and then they'd be off to lunch. So after quick dab of make-up, fingers through her hair, and a glance in the mirror, Charlotte was ready. She walked out of the bathroom and smiled at her children and husband. The Coastie was so good with them. Graham was a natural.

While she admired her family, Charlotte heard Sawyer's horn and she walked closer to the bed. "That's me. I'll be back later." She put her hand on Graham's back and smiled at the two small children. "Be good for Daddy, okay."

"Otay!" Hattie eagerly ran up to her father and closed her eyes and waited for another push.

Charlotte just laughed at their daughter and shook her head. "Careful. I don't want you falling off the bed." Glancing down, she saw her son. "And you either." Charlotte picked up the little boy and looked into his green eyes that matched his father's. "I'll see you later, Scott." Pressing a sweet kiss against his cheek, Charlotte put the one year old back down on the bed.

Graham looked to his wife and watched her move close to him. He smiled as she leaned in to kiss him. "Have fun."

"Mmm-huh." Charlotte kissed him again, "I'm sure we will."

"Say bye, Mom." Graham glanced to their kids with a smile.

"Bye." Hattie was still laughing from her last pillow push.

Charlotte smiled and started to walk away. She made it through the house and closed the front door behind her when she got outside. Mack was laying in the front yard in a patch of sunlight gleaming down from behind early spring shower clouds, and Sawyer's music was buzzing from the convertible. Charlotte walked to her cousin's car with a smile. "Hi."

"Hey." The blonde watched her best friend sit down and she started to pull away from the curb. "So what's going on with the kiddos?"

Charlotte laughed with a shrug. "Laughing their little hearts out. Graham was throwing them into pillows on our bed."

Laughing, Sawyer nodded. She'd seen a similar sight a few days ago. "I think Ben was doing that with Hattie at Scott's birthday party."

"He did. Hattie was talking _all_ about it at breakfast." Sawyer's boyfriend of over a year and a half had a way with kids. It was too bad Sawyer was set on never having any. "I don't think Graham wanted to be out-done by _cool Uncle Ben_ so he's been tossing them around for the last twenty minutes."

"Ha." Sawyer started to smirk and turned towards downtown. "I'll tell Ben his little game with the mad-hatter was a big-time success."

The two of them drove towards town and stopped by the shop before heading to lunch. Brooke was already at the restaurant but left a note for the girls with instructions on how to take care of there outfits between now and tomorrow. The rules were mainly for the blonde, but Charlotte would follow them too. As they left, Sawyer begrudgingly picked up the pair of chicken cutlets her aunt set out for her, and Charlotte eyed her navy dress with a smile. Graham's favorite color on her was navy and Brooke knew it.

It took all of three minutes to get to the Riverwalk from the shop, and when they walked in the restaurant, Charlotte saw that everyone was already there. "Sorry we're late." She sat down next to her mom and watched Sawyer take a seat next to Keith's pregnant wife and Peyton.

Brooke waved the girls off. "We haven't been here long. Did you pick up the dresses?"

"Yep, and I got your consolation prize too." Sawyer sipped her water and rolled her eyes.

Peyton laughed out loud knowing what her youngest was talking about. "Sorry, kid. Genetics sucks sometimes."

As the women laughed, Charlotte looked to her raspy voiced aunt, "Aunt Brooke, are you getting excited about tomorrow?"

"Do you mean, am I ready to have my _only_ son get married? No."

Haley could relate. "It's not that bad, Brooke." Jamie had gotten married nearly fifteen years ago and while it had been a little difficult, seeing him happy and in love took anything bad she was feeling away. Jamie and Liza's wedding had been beautiful.

"Yeah, especially when you like the girl he's marrying." Peyton nodded and held her hands to Bridget. "Case in point."

Bridget smiled and put her hands on her four months pregnant belly. "Just wait until Amelia's pregnant, Brooke. "

Wide eyed, the fashion lover started to smile. "That may be the _only_ thing I'm excited about right now." The idea of grandkids was more than exciting. Brooke and babies went together as well as peanut-butter and jelly.

"Well...I thought we were supposed to take you out to lunch to get your mind _away_ from all the wedding stuff. Lets talk about something else." Sawyer grabbed a piece of bread and lathered it with butter.

Changing topics numerous times. The women of Tree Hill talked a little about everything: babies, music, the weather, next month's Azalea festival- all sorts of things. Time flew and before most of them knew it, the early afternoon was turning into late afternoon. They all had a big day in store for tomorrow, so the women filtered out of the restaurant eager for the Baker event. Goodbyes and hugs were exchanged and then Sawyer drove Charlotte back home.

Taking the dress from the back, Charlotte held the bagged navy fabric over her shoulder and smiled at the blonde. "Thanks for the ride."

"Sure. See you tomorrow." Sawyer sped away from the curb and tossed her hand up like she always did.

Charlotte walked inside and heard the microwave in the kitchen. Graham had Hattie on his shoulders and Scott was sitting in his high chair. The little one caught site of his mom and started to bang his sippy cup against the high chair tray, babbling in his excited baby mumble.

"Alright, one second, Sailor..." Graham had his back to Charlotte and didn't know their son was making a ruckus because she was home.

"Hi." Charlotte walked towards the happy baby and watched her husband turn around.

"Mama!" Hattie squeezed her father's hair in her little hands when she saw Charlotte.

"Ow...Hattie." Graham laughed and lifted the nearly three year old off his shoulders.

Hattie ran over to Charlotte and hugged her mom. "Dat your dress?"

Charlotte was still holding to her bagged dress and she nodded. "Yep. Aunt Brooke made it for me."

Graham walked over to the three people he loved most in the world and reached for the dress. "I'll take it to the bedroom." Charlotte had her hands full with the kids.

Appreciatively nodding, Charlotte handed Graham the dress so it wouldn't get anything on it in the kitchen. "Thanks."

The Coastie made his way to the bedroom and smiled at the color. Charlotte did always look good in navy. She'd worn that shade a handful of times, and Graham loved it no matter the style, cut, or fashion. Seeing her in it tomorrow would be a thrill. He'd be in a suit, she'd be in that dress, and they'd make a rather dapper looking couple.

And that they did. The next day, the McFarlands walked hand in hand into the church looking put-together and adorable. They'd left the kids with a babysitter, and Charlotte and Graham found a spot in the pews on the groom's side. It didn't seem that long ago that they'd been the ones doing this. Four and a half years ago it was Charlotte and Graham swapping vows and exchanging rings. That had been one of their best days.

Leaning into her husband's side, Charlotte remembered exactly how she felt- a bundle of nerves with a heated blush and an excitement that had yet to fade. Even after four and a half years, she still felt that way around Graham. Some things would never change.

"I have a funny feeling we may be getting a call from Hannah before the night's over." The rescue swimmer slid down the pew to make room for others and smirked at his wife.

"Probably." Charlotte nodded and felt Graham wrap one of his arms around her side and they both quietly laughed.

When they'd left Hattie and Scott with the babysitter, the kids had been less than pleased that their parents were leaving. Scott started to cry first and then Hattie followed suit. It was a nightmare with both of the kids screaming bloody murder as Charlotte and Graham tried to get out of the house. The traces of snot on Graham's suit was an example of just how hard it had been. Thank goodness for the Tide pen to-go, though. In the car Charlotte had whipped it out of her purse, maneuvered over her seat, and made quick work on her husband's jacket. And it worked, too. You could hardly see a thing.

The married couple watched Davis and Amelia's guests fill into the church. Charlotte's parents, aunt and uncle, and everyone else filtered into the church as the ceremony neared. They probably had about twenty minutes until it actually began, and Graham knew of something that could pass the time.

He leaned his mouth towards Charlotte's ear with a smile when he watched their friends walk into the church. "Ever hear the story about Lorelei?"

"Mmm-ugh." She hadn't. Charlotte looked into her husband's sea green eyes. "Is it a good one?"

Graham nodded. "Lorelei was the town beauty. Wiley and hard-headed- she fell in love. She met a sailor she was gonna marry. They were crazy about each other, but just before the wedding he had to go to sea. Lorelei told him she'd wait, and she did. For months she waited. Three years passed and she was still waiting. Everyone told her his ship had been lost but she didn't believe it. Distraught and heartbroken, the beautiful Lorelei jumped into the ocean..."

"Graham..." Charlotte furrowed her brow. "This doesn't sound like happy one." Anytime she ever thought she'd hear a sad or tragic ending, Charlotte would stop him.

He knew she didn't like that sad stories, but there was a good ending on its way. "She drifted through the waves, hoping the hold of the ocean might drown her sorrows, but somehow she stayed afloat. When night fell upon the young girl, she tried to paddle to shore but the tides held her back. She was stranded in the ocean near a rocky reef a mile from the beach. Exhausted, she wanted to give up, but the sea wouldn't let her. Off in the distance a ship was sailing home." Graham looked to Charlotte and could see her smile return.

"It was him, wasn't it?"

"As the ship neared, one of the sailors spotted something in the water. The crewman's heart broke when he recognized the girl and he hurried to the side shouting, 'Lorelei, Lorelei...have you no mind?' The water was freezing and without thinking, the sailor jumped in the water and swam over to the struggling young woman to tell her to take his hand." Slipping his hand over Charlotte's, Graham smilled. "She did and the sailor pulled her to the boat. They got on board and after seeing what an ordeal the couple had gone through, the captain married them right then and there." Graham looked down the aisle where the everyone would stand. "And that's why captains can marry people today."

"All because of Lorelei." Charlotte smiled and leaned into her husband as her eyes fell on familiar wedding guests from town file into the pews.

"Because she waited." Graham nodded.

The duo saw Brooke on the arm of an usher, and Amelia's mom followed. Davis and the minister walked in from the right and the rest of the wedding party started to come down the aisle. Everyone stood up when Amelia started to walk towards Davis. It was a beautiful and poignant ceremony that had many in tears. Charlotte found herself getting choked up, but it wasn't so much about Davis and Amelia's vows, it was the reminders of what she had with Graham- how love was constant and unyielding. It was a beautiful thing.

When the bride and groom walked hand in hand away from the alter, the wedding-goers started to leave the church and Charlotte ran into her older brother.

"I think this will be the last one for a while." Jamie looked at his sister with a grin. Seemed weddings and engagements had been rather popular over the last few years.

Knowing Jamie was right, Charlotte nodded.

Bennet was eleven and looked to his aunt and dad. "I'm just glad I wasn't _in_ this one."

"What?" Charlotte narrowed her eyes with a laugh. "You had a good time in our wedding." The brunette leaned into her husband and nodded towards her nephew.

Liza walked up with a six year old Claire and put her hands on Bennet's shoulders. She'd caught the last part of the conversation. "Oh don't mind him. He loved being in y'alls wedding."

"Was I there?" Claire was little when her aunt and uncle got married. She couldn't remember if she'd gone or not.

"You stayed home." Liza shook her head and looked to her sister-in-law. "Probably just like Hattie and Scott."

"Yep." Charlotte nodded. "They're at home wishing we hadn't left them with a babysitter, I'm sure."

Graham looked to where the snot stain was and laughed. "If you don't see us at the reception it'll be 'cause we got a frantic message telling us to come home."

Jamie patted Bennet on his shoulder. "Kind of like the time Charlotte babysat for you, bud."

"Me? What did I do?"

Charlotte remembered what her brother was talking about. "Well...technically I didn't call your mom and dad. I called your grandma to come help me. You had some _serious_ anxiety about the New Years fireworks going off when I kept you."

"I did?"

"You did." Liza nodded and remembered that night like it was yesterday.

Wincing, Bennet looked to his aunt. "Sorry."

"Happens to the best of us. When I was little, I was terrified of the vacuum cleaner." Graham nodded to the boy with a grin.

Bennet started to grin. "You were?"

Charlotte looked to her husband and furrowed her brow. "You were?"

Laughing, the Coastie nodded. "Yeah."

After a good laugh, they all started heading to their cars, and when Charlotte got into the passenger seat, she checked her messages.

Glancing over to his wife as he pulled away from the church, Graham arched his brow. "Anything about the kids?"

Charlotte listened to the Hannah's update on the Hattie and Scott and turned to the green-eyed Coastie. "Well...Scott settled down but Hattie's apparently throwing an absolute fit."

"Still?" Graham scratched his head, "What do you think we should do?" Did they go home? Did they go to the reception? They at least got through the ceremony. Would that be enough so they could get home and tame their toddler? Maybe? Probably.

"I don't know. I mean..." Charlotte looked out the window and took a deep breath. "You know how she can get. Especially lately."

"So home?" Graham was coming up to an intersection where they would need to decide.

"Yeah. We can go home."

Turning towards the house, the duo drove home. When they opened the front door they could hear their oldest upset and Hannah trying to do and say anything to make things better. Charlotte walked to where the noise was and spotted her friend and daughter. "Hi."

Hearing Charlotte's voice, Hannah turned to Hattie's mom with an exhausted smile. "Hi."

"Hat...what's wrong?" Holding out her arms, the brown-eyed twenty-nine year old took her daughter.

Graham walked towards his two girls and smiled at Hannah. "Sorry about this." He rubbed his hand on Hattie's back. "She's kind of in a stage where she's not really a fan of anyone."

"And that includes _us_ sometimes." Charlotte laughed a little and pressed her head into Hattie's soft hair.

After a little bit of talking, Graham got Scott from the playpen and Hannah left. Charlotte was walking around the house with Hattie, softly talking in her ear. "Are you hungry? I'm hungry. Why don't we eat?"

"No."

"No?" Charlotte smiled expecting that. Fussy three year old had a mind of their own. "How are you gonna grow up and be big and strong if you don't eat? I bet Daddy's hungry." Anytime Charlotte could pull Graham into things normally did the trick.

Hearing Charlotte, the Coastie nodded. "Yeah, Minnow. I'm starving. What do you want?"

"Perial." Hattie wiped her tear stained cheeks and frowned the saddest frown imaginable. She was still upset her parents had left. How could they leave her with a babysitter?

"Cereal? I can handle that." Graham walked into the kitchen and started to fix a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios.

"Here..." Charlotte put Hattie down by the kitchen table and walked over to Graham. "I'll take him." She got Scott and walked back over to the little brunette to sit down. It was a two person effort, this parenting thing.

"How about it, Minnow?" Graham put down the little yellow bowl in front of his daughter and nodded. "Breakfast for dinner is the best sometimes."

Hattie got on her knees in her chair and started to slurp the Cheerios into her mouth.

"What do you think you want, Charlotte?" Graham opened the fridge and eyed the possibilities and leftovers. "Lasagna? There's a package of chicken I guess I could throw on the grill...?"

"I'll just nibble off of what you get." Charlotte pressed her cheek into Scott's dark hair with a smile. She didn't think Graham would want to cook and she didn't want to either. "Leftover lasagna is fine."

That suited him just fine and Graham got out the tupperware to toss in the microwave. For a little while the family of four ate their dinner in peace. Charlotte fed Scott and when the kids started to rub their eyes, Graham knew that was his cue for storytelling time. It probably wouldn't take Hattie long to fall asleep. She'd been so upset earlier that she was probably exhausted, and Scott was like most babies. After a decent dinner he wanted to sleep.

Graham took the kids upstairs and Charlotte walked to the bedroom to get out of her dress. She'd taken her heels off as soon as they gotten inside, but now it was time to get into something more comfortable. The navy dress she'd gotten from Brooke zipped down the back and Charlotte stepped out of it once she could. She washed her face and put her hair up in a ponytail, opted for her glasses, and then roamed through Graham's closet for some oversized sweats. He wouldn't mind. Set with a pair of USCG blue sweatpants and a gray sweatshirt, Charlotte made her way to the kitchen to tidy up a bit.

Graham told the kids the story about sand dollars and came back down to see Charlotte in the kitchen. She was loading the dishwasher and Graham walked up behind her. He was still in his suit, but shed the jacket a while ago.

"Need some help?"

Putting the detergent in and starting the appliance, Charlotte turned around and shook her head. "I just finished." Her brown eyes met his green ones and Charlotte couldn't help but smile at her sexy husband. Graham was a handsome man. She put her arms over his shoulders and smiled. "So...you never told me about the vacuum cleaner thing."

Grinning, Graham shrugged, "Not exactly my finest hours."

She tried to imagine her tough husband afraid of the vacuum cleaner and Charlotte could only laugh.

"Hey..." Graham put his arms around her waist and arched his brow. "I was little and I was convinced it would suck me up. Who wouldn't be scared of that?"

Biting her lip, Charlotte nodded. "I was terrified of the Chicago Bulls' mascot. The Grizzlies' too."

Graham laughed at her, "You mean those _fluffy_ things?"

Charlotte's eyes got wide at Graham's tone. "I was..._two_ and Grizz looked like a _mean _bear. How was I supposed to know they were more like giant stuffed animals?"

Looking at his adorable wife try to explain herself in her glasses, ponytail, and sweats made Graham's heart swell. How could someone look so beautiful so disheveled?

Pulling on his tie, Charlotte raised up on her tiptoes. "I know it seems dumb but..." She kissed him and smiled. "At least it's not the vacuum cleaner."

"Am I ever going to live that down?"

Playfully smiling, Charlotte hit the kitchen lights and left Graham in the dark with a small laugh. "Maybe." He watched her walk away and then slowly followed her into the living room. Charlotte got comfortable on the couch and turned on the television. "So...what's it gonna be tonight?"

Just as soon as she sat down, Graham pulled her back up to her feet. Charlotte was taken aback but liked that he'd decided not to watch anything. He turned off the television and shook his head. "You know what we'd be doing right now if we were still out...?"

Charlotte nodded. "Something like this." She put her hands around him and swayed to an imaginary beat. The mother of two looked down at her outfit with a laugh, "But I don't think this is really dancing attire."

"Doesn't matter." He shook his head and reached for the remote to hit the stereo.

There were expecting music but not Baby Bop: Nursery Rhymes. Charlotte and Graham both started to laugh when 'Ring Around the Rosie' started playing. Graham hit the button to go to the next CD but it wasn't much better. 'John Jacob Jingleheimer Schmidt' started to echo out of the speakers.

Charlotte started laughing harder and took the remote from her husband to turn it off. "I think we can do without."

"Mmm-huh." Graham nodded and rested his forehead on hers. Their feet moved back and forth- left to right. "Anything else you're scared of that I don't know about, Charlotte Scott?"

Charlotte looked up into those sea green eyes of his. "Not really." She pulled herself closer to him and took a deep breath, biting her lip. "Only losing you." He had a dangerous job after all. No mater how many times Graham told her not to worry, she did.

He took a deep breath an locked eyes with her. "You're never gonna lose me, Charlotte."

Graham didn't know that for sure and that's what worried her. He was so sure, but how could he be when Graham didn't control the things that could take him away from her- from them. Hattie and Scott needed him too.

The two of them stood there in the living room for a while hoping that fate had good plans for their future. Neither of them were ready for anything to the contrary.

Not yet. Not ever.

But trouble was brewing ahead. It was just a matter of when and where.

**OTHOTH**

Spring sped to summer, Charlotte turned thirty, Keith and Bridget's son was born, and Labor Day fell upon Tree Hill before anyone knew it. Charlotte and Graham's five year wedding anniversary was a couple weeks away, but before the happy couple could celebrate the milestone, Graham wanted to get back to his roots. Since Scott had been born, Banyan, Graham's sailboat, had hardly touched the water, and the Coastie thought a day-and-a-half trip with his old boat and best friend sounded good.

And that was the plan. Graham and Ben had the boat on the trailer, they'd packed a full cooler, and the weather looked good. Everything was set. They'd taken the boat to the marina and put it in the water, and now they were ready to hoist the sails.

Charlotte and Sawyer followed the the boys to marina to say goodbye, and when Charlotte walked by the Tahoe, she saw the bag with Graham's clothes still in the car. She grabbed it and walked down by the water were the guys were. Graham was unhooking the boat when she approached him. "Might wanna take this."

He turned to Charlotte and widened his eyes with a laugh. "Yeah, thanks." Dry clothes on a boat was imperative. Graham took the bag from his wife and tossed it aboard.

Ben came out of the cabin and jumped down from the boat in ankle deep water. He wiped the sweat from his brow with his arm and patted Graham. "I think we're good to go, man."

"Yeah. We'll pull the sails up in just a sec." The green-eyed Coastie nodded and looked to his wife. He checked his watch and smiled. "So I think that's it."

Charlotte nodded, "Have fun." She kissed him and pulled Graham close for a hug. "Be careful."

"We will." Graham nodded and kissed Charlotte again.

Sawyer and Ben stood by the water's edge making out like love sick teenagers, and they didn't move away from each other until Charlotte honked Sawyer's horn. The brunette waved for her cousin and Sawyer hurried over to her convertible. As the boys set sail, the girls drove away.

"Hey. I have to get some gas, alright?" Sawyer took a right out of the marina and knew there was a gas-station next to the causeway.

That was fine with Charlotte. The kids were with her parents, and just like the guys, the girls were spending the holiday weekend to themselves. Instead of the the wind and waves, Charlotte and Sawyer would tuck themselves in Charlotte's big bed and watch movies and girl-talk. It was rare they got to have nights like that these days. With the kids and Sawyer's busy work schedule, the two best friends were looking forward to spending some quality time together.

Sawyer pulled up to a pump and while she let the car fill up, she headed inside for a few Mountain Dews, Cokes, and some junk food for their girl time. Charlotte didn't need anything and instead of going in, she watched the clouds roll through the sky. She heard the familiar caw of sea birds and her attention was taken to a flock that landed just in front of the gas-station. Charlotte's eyes traveled through the group and landed on something she hadn't seen before. Was that a brown pelican? Her initial instinct made her look more closely just to check, because as far as Graham had told her, brown pelicans were signs of trouble ahead.

Opening the passenger side door, Charlotte kept her eyes fixated on the birds and walked closer to where they'd landed. She swallowed hard when she saw the distinct brown color, and then noticed there was a second one. There were _two_ of them? That must have meant something really bad was coming ashore.

Sawyer walked out of the store with a paper bag full of junk food and saw Charlotte standing in the parking lot. "What are you doing?" The blonde walked closer to her cousin and nudged her. "Hey...? Don't get too close. Birds have all sorts of diseases." Sawyer made a funny face and let her gaze fall on what her cousin was looking at.

Looking at Sawyer, Charlotte pointed, "Those are brown...right?"

Was Charlotte colorblind? Sawyer cut her eyes and nodded slowly. "Yeah." Sawyer made a face, puzzled. "Are they endangered or something? I haven't seen those before." Her eyes roamed the group. "There're just two?"

"Yeah." Charlotte looked back to the clouds rolling in and then towards the marina. "We need to go. We need to go back."

"Back where?" Sawyer was a little confused and before she got an answer, Sawyer saw Charlotte walking back to the car.

"Wait, Charlotte..." Sawyer hurried to catch up with her cousin and put the bag down in the back. "What's going on?"

Charlotte couldn't really explain it. "Something's wrong." She shook her head and shrugged. "I just...we need to go back to the marina."

Sawyer looked at Charlotte like she was crazy but started the car and headed towards the marina anyway. "So explain to me what the deal is. I'm lost."

The mother of two felt the wind run across the back of her neck and all the hair on her body stood up. Charlotte shook her head. "Those birds..." Charlotte bit her lip and looked to the water. "Graham always told me to watch out for the brown ones. They come in when a storm's rolling in."

"You know he makes most of what he tells you up." Sawyer shook her head and laughed. "I'm sure it was just something he created on a whim."

Not this time. It didn't feel like it. Charlotte could sense that trouble was brewing. "I don't know, Sawyer. I think..." Keeping her eyes in the direction of the marina, the younger Scott shrugged. "Something's wrong."

That was at least the second time Charlotte had said that, and now Sawyer was freaking out. What was wrong? Everything sure seemed fine when they left the boys at the marina. "Okay, okay...I'm going as fast as I can." Sawyer sped through the traffic and pulled into a parking space at the marina.

Both of the women got out of the car and Charlotte spotted Graham's sails drifting away from land. "They already left." Her shoulders hung and Charlotte took a deep, regretful breath.

"Well if anything happens, they'll be fine." Sawyer was starting to wonder if anything was going to happen and shook off any anxiety her younger cousin instilled in her. "They're in the Coast Guard, for Pete's sake. I think they'll be okay."

Charlotte watched Graham's sailboat get smaller and smaller and her stomach started to hurt. Sawyer better be right.

"Hey, come on... Let's eat shitty food, talk bad about people, and not worry about anything." Sawyer put her arm around Charlotte and guided her best friend back to the car. The blonde couldn't help but take a look back to the sailboat though. Something did seem off.

But the guys were just fine. The wind was blowing strong and they were headed out to sea without a care in the world. Ben ducked under the boom as it swung around the boat. Graham tied off the smaller mast and looked out across the never ending sea.

"So I gotta ask you a favor, Graham..."

"Oh, yeah? What's that?" He reached into the cooler and tossed Ben a beer.

"Sawyer and I have a bet going about when you and Charlotte have the next baby, and I'm gonna be out a hundred bucks if you two get pregnant in the next month."

Laughing out loud, Graham nodded. "Alright. I'll see what I can do about that." He laughed again and shook his head. "I don't think you have anything to worry about though, man. We're not trying for another one for a while."

"Yeah, you say that, but I know Charlotte. She's all about babies." Charlotte was the second of two people in town who, hands down, absolutely adored children.

"True, but I also think she can do without the baby weight, swollen ankles, and leaky breasts for a little while longer."

Ben smiled and watched the waves roll by the boat. "You sound like Sawyer...at least how she feels about all that."

"She still hasn't changed her mind?" Graham knew the one issue that had been plaguing his good friend had been that. Sawyer was adamant about not having any kids but Ben had always wanted a family.

"About kids? Ben shook his head, "No." The Tennessean was in a sticky situation. The girl he loved, the one Ben wanted to spend the rest of his days with was convinced that she didn't need snotty nosed kids in her life. It was an issue he thought about constantly and struggled with. There were plenty of others who could give him what he wanted, but the problem was that he wanted it with _her_. One of these days he was going to make a decision, and it might be a really hard one. "I don't want to break up with her because of it but..." Ben breathed deeply, "I don't know."

"Well what if you have mine and Charlotte's next one?" Graham was only teasing to get a smile from Ben.

"I guess I can live with that." He pointed at his best friend, "Only as long as I can teach him how to play baseball. And I'd rather teach a _boy_ baseball, but I can maybe do the softball thing."

"Alright." The father of two smiled and then thought about the basketball dynasty his wife came from. "You can fight with Nathan about the baseball thing. I think they'll want to keep basketball in the family." Hattie had already taken multiple trips to the Rivercourt and pretty soon Scott would be a regular too.

Holding out his fists, Ben grinned. "I can take Nathan."

Smiling, Graham laughed again and took a sip of his beer. "Right." He glanced to the compass he'd pulled from his pocket and read the engraving on the back. After he and Charlotte had dated a year, she'd given it to him for safe travels. He looked up to the sky and wondered if rain was on its way. The clouds seemed to spread over the sky without warning. Graham looked back to his compass and arched his brow. "I bet you they're talking about us. Charlotte and Sawyer."

"Don't they always?"

While the guys nodded and laughed, the girls were nearly to Charlotte and Graham's house. Sawyer pulled along the curb when they got there and pressed the button for the top. If it was going to rain she sure as hell didn't want her leather getting messed up.

Charlotte was slow to walk to the porch, and when she unlocked the door Mack greeted her with a wet tongue.

"If I'd thought about it, I would have brought Trout. It could have been just like the good old days." Sawyer patted on Mack and pushed her sunglasses into her hair as she walked into the kitchen. "And look what I brought from home..." The blonde pulled out one of those concentrated margarita mixes with a grin. "And..." The thirty-one year old held out some tequila. "Unless of course...you have some news you'd like to share."

Charlotte smiled and put her hand over her stomach. "No..."

"Well not that it would be a _bad_ thing. I'm all about more little McFarland babies."

Laughing at her cousin's tone, Charlotte got out two glasses and the blender. Charlotte knew Sawyer too well for it to go unnoticed. "So how much?"

"Of this?" Sawyer eyed the concentrated container and widened her eyes with a laugh. "Uh... _All_ of it."

"No..." Charlotte laughed, "How much did you bet with Ben."

Sawyer's mouth fell open. "What? How did you know? He told you, didn't he?"

The brunette shook her head. "No, I know you too well, Sawyer. Something's gotta be in it for you if you seem even the _least_ bit excited about another baby in town."

Laughing, Sawyer shrugged. "Ugh-fine. We have this bet... I said you and Graham would be pregnant by the end of next month and he said it would be later."

"How much did you wager?"

"One hundred dollars."

"Sawyer! That's how much you think of my unborn child?" Charlotte acted a little more upset than she was.

"No, no...it was just a bet." Sawyer winced and squinted. "I don't _actually_ think the baby is worth a hundred bucks." The music lover laughed, "But...if you want to jump on Graham as soon as he gets back, that's fine."

Laughing, Charlotte watched Sawyer dropped the necessary ingredients in the blinder and then press the button so the margarita mix and alcohol could blend into a delicious, icy mixture. The blonde poured equal portions into the glasses Charlotte got out and the girls clinked their drinks together. Charlotte sipped hers and watched Sawyer nearly gulp down her entire serving. "Jeeze, Sawyer...save some for later."

"Ah..." Pressing her hand deep into her forehead, Sawyer winced. "Brain freeze." She'd tried to get in as much alcohol as possible. There were some uncomfortable things she needed to talk with Charlotte about.

"Well, uh...that's what you get when..."

"I have to break up with Ben." It was short and directly to the point.

Charlotte let the sentence register and she shook her head. "_What_? Why?"

Sawyer looked to her cousin because she knew Charlotte already had that answer. "Charlotte..."

"Because of the baby thing?"

Nodding, Sawyer sat down, "And because I won't marry him."

"He asked!" Charlotte's mouth fell open and she hurried to sit down next to Sawyer.

"No, but...they kind of go hand in hand." Sawyer finished the last gulp of her margarita. "It's not fair for him." Her worst fear was having Ben waste his heart on her. She had a soul that wouldn't settle down and couldn't be tamed.

"What about you?" The younger of the two looked to her cousin and furrowed her brow. Sawyer loved Ben, so what about her? Didn't she get a say in things?

"What _about_ me? I love the wrong guy."

"Don't say that. I don't think that's true." Charlotte didn't think that for a minute. Sawyer and Ben were and always would be great together.

"It is." Sawyer nodded and covered her face with her hands. "We don't want the same things and I can't keep going in circles with it."

Charlotte could see that Sawyer was getting upset, so Graham's wife rubbed on Sawyer's back. "It's gonna be fine, Saw. You know how things like this just...work out."

A ripple of lighting shot across the sky and thunder boomed through the September air. Hearing Mother Nature's roar, Sawyer laughed and wiped a tear from her cheek. "See...I bet that's a sign or something."

Looking outside, Charlotte saw the rain start to come down and she bit her lip. "Maybe not. Maybe it'll be like those birds. I worried about them for nothing." Nothing may have been a strong word because the weather had turned ugly in an instance. Her husband was still out at sea. So was Ben.

Sawyer rolled her eyes and she laughed at the coincidence. _Two_ birds and Sawyer wanted to shoot them both. "Ugh... I hate this."

"Well look...," Charlotte got up and topped off Sawyer's glass. Let's go lay down and put in a movie, forget about everything else, and then we can worry about you and Ben in a little while.

Nodding, Sawyer got up and followed her cousin into the bedroom. The girls got settled and Charlotte turned the television on only to see a weather bulletin scrolling at the bottom of the screen. _Significant __Weather Advisory. Strong wind and rain expected until 4pm. Stay tuned for more information and updates. _Great. That was just what Charlotte needed. Not only did she need to get Sawyer's mind away from Ben, but now that a storm was blowing in, all she could think about was Graham.

"What are we watching?" Sawyer hunkered down in the pillows and had a roll of toilet paper by her side. She had a funny feeling no matter the context, she'd do a significant amount of crying. If she and Ben were going to break up, then the last seven years had been worthless, and that was a lot of time to throw away.

"Um..." Charlotte laid down next to Sawyer and scrolled through the On-Demand section. She heard Sawyer softly start to cry and Charlotte put down the remote. "We don't have to watch anything if you don't want to."

Nodding, Sawyer held wads of toilet paper up to her eyes and cried about everything she was going to lose.

For the next two hours the girls did more of the same. Charlotte and Sawyer ended up using multiple toilet paper rolls to dab their eyes after talking about the past and such. Even though they didn't get to watch a movie, they'd done more bonding in the last two hours than they had in the last two years. Sometimes it took a breaking point to bring friends close together again.

The rain was still pounding against the house and Sawyer looked up to the ceiling. "How can you stand that?" The tin roof was noisy as hell and Sawyer had to find something to pick apart other than herself.

"I don't know. You get used to it."

"Well, I don't..." Sawyer stopped mid sentence when she heard something. "Did you hear that?"

Charlotte sat up in bed and listened for anything out of the ordinary. Something sounded like it was coming from the front of the house. "Go check."

"Me?" Sawyer shook her head. "It's your _creepy_ house. _You_ do it." Sawyer laughed and threw her snot wads on the floor.

Charlotte took a deep breath and started to get out of bed. She slowly walked to out of the bedroom just in time to see the front door open. "Oh my God..." She was sure she was about to be killed by a burglar until she heard her _attacker's_ voice.

"Hey."

Peeking an eye open, Charlotte laughed. "Graham?" He was soaking wet but still had that cute grin. "What are you doing here?"

"The weather got bad so we turned back. Figured it would be better to do it when it _wasn't_ storming." He laughed and ran his hand over his damp hair.

Ben hurried inside and dropped their bags on the floor. "I think I got it all." Sawyer came out of the bedroom clutching the hairdryer. It was the only thing she could find to defend herself. Ben looked at his girlfriend with a laugh. "What are you doing with that, O.J.?"

Answering for Sawyer, Charlotte laughed. "We thought you were going to kill us" Charlotte laughed at the mere thought.

Sawyer hadn't said anything yet and Ben noticed her tear stains. "Y'all watch a sad movie or something?"

Feeling his gaze upon her, Sawyer knew her emotions were about to run rampant. "I...I have to go."

"Go?" Graham watched Sawyer move passed them and walk outside. "It's raining."

"Sawyer..." Ben followed Sawyer out the door and left Charlotte and Graham speechless in their foyer.

"What just happened?" Graham asked the question out loud but he knew the answer.

"Sawyer's breaking up with him."

"Ben's breaking up with her."

The husband and wife duo said their information at the same time.

"No...what?" Charlotte frowned. Ben could probably talk Sawyer out of a break-up but if he was thinking the same thing then maybe there was no hope.

"So she told you the same thing?" Graham took a deep breath and glanced out the door to the rain that blurred the view.

"I guess so." The brown-eyed mother of two leaned into her husband's wet shirt. "Maybe it's for the best?" She really hoped not, but sometimes fate had other plans.

Graham wanted to get out of his clothes and walked with Charlotte to their bedroom. "Maybe." He pulled his shirt over his head and started to put on some dry clothes. Charlotte gathered up the toilet paper wads and tossed them in the trash.

As he reached in his pockets, Graham pulled out something cool and metal. He stared at it like he had earlier that day. "Remember this?" He turned to his wife and tossed her the small device.

Charlotte caught what Graham threw her and looked at it with a smile. She ran her thumb over the engraving and laughed. _Lt. McFarland. USCG__ . _"I knew you'd be promoted." When she gave that compass to him six years ago, Charlotte had temporarily forgotten that he wouldn't be a Lieutenant forever.

Smiling, Graham shook his head. "I kind of like it." He walked her way and shrugged. "Besides, Lieutenant _Commander_ would have been to big to fit." The Coastie laughed and took his compass back.

Charlotte studied her husband for a second as he looked over his old gift. She swallowed and looked to the rain outside. "I saw two brown pelicans today."

"You did?" Graham arched his brow.

"Yeah, and I freaked out a little. Those are the bad ones, right?"

The green-eyed Coastie nodded. "They signal trouble ahead."

"Did you make that up or is that...for real?" Charlotte couldn't tell if he was going off his old folklore and myths or the actual truth.

"Uh...both, I guess." Charlotte wished Graham had said he'd made it up. Her eyes got worried and he saw her get uncomfortable. "But hey..." He put his hand over her arms and rubbed soothingly, "...everything's fine. Nothing's wrong."

"I know, I just... When it started to storm and you were out on the boat...I guess I was only thinking the worst."

Graham nodded, "Charlotte...you have to stop thinking like that. Nothing's gonna happen."

"I know." She swallowed hard and stepped closer to him, wrapping her arms around his tall frame.

Holding her close, Graham smiled, "You know what Ben and I talked about today?"

Charlotte had a pretty good idea. She and Sawyer talked about the same thing. "The baby bet."

He laughed at her term and nodded. "So where do you stand on that?"

"I thought I wanted to wait, but I think I changed my mind." Having him so close and the beating in her chest was sending new transmissions to her brain. If they conceived a child soon, Hattie would be four and Scott would be two by the time the baby was born, and those were good age gaps, right?

Leaning down and kissing her, Graham smiled. "Me too."

While Charlotte and Graham had come to a decision about their future, the rain that poured from above left a hazy drizzle of uncertainty on the rest of it. Those two brown birds hadn't been a coincidence. Not at all. In the coming months things were going to unravel, and not just for Charlotte and Graham. Many they were close to would have their entire worlds changed. Good thing or bad, fate would decide. It was just a matter of time.

**OTHOTH**

**Uh-oh. The shit's about to hit the fan. What's gonna happen? Any guesses, ideas, or conspiracies? And what about Sawyer and Ben? They sure didn't seem like they were on good terms at the end. Next chapter we'll see what kind of fate the tides inflict on the people of Tree Hill. It might not all be bad, but I can certainly say the bad outweighs the good. From my Charlotte story description: "He jumps from helicopters to save people but what happens when he's the one that needs saving? Were they destined to be together or will the tide keep them apart?" Questions...questions...**

**Reviewers: Thanks for the feedback. You guys know you are my rock!**

**Chrissy: I'm glad you are enjoying the story! I'll say one of your predictions is right. We'll see which one next chapter. **

**Joan: I'm so happy you liked that we got to see Graham save someone. I always wanted to include him saving someone from the family I just had to figure out how to incorporate it and make sure the timing was right. Yes, I intend on write a Jamie and Liza chapter that hits on what happened with Claire. We'll...clearly Sawyer and Ben were together...their fate as a couple is not known, but we'll find out soon. Ha, yay, I'm glad you liked Will in last chapter. I always liked him. And on a side note student teaching/internship is going well. It's exhausting but I'm battling through it. Graduation is so close!**

**Review Please!**


	29. Mayday

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 29: Mayday**

**Disclaimer: Pick a number up to ten. Do you have it? Is it zero? Cause it should be. That's how much I own related to the show.**

**A/N: First off, if you read Sawyer's story and have _not_ read her latest chapter...I would do that BEFORE you read this. This will be spoilerish and you might want to find certain things out in _her_ story, instead of this one. So, on to Charlotte's...this chapter sets up the drama that's been on the horizon for a while now. We'll jump to March where we'll find Charlotte pregnant with baby no. 3, and then the next sections both take place in May with a flashback. The final section will be a little different, though. I'll be jumping from Charlotte's perspective to Graham's perspective often. Read it carefully so you know what's going on. Other than that, enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

March, spring, and the sound of cicadas coated Tree Hill. The evening air had a slight breeze, and it blew against Graham's skin as he pushed Hattie in the swing. The father and his two young kids were killing time until Charlotte got ready. Scott was hiding behind the oak tree in the backyard from Mack, but the golden retriever wasn't entirely sure what was going on. The two year old enjoyed himself though. His hearty laugh made the thirty-four year old Coastie smile. There wasn't anything in the world better than being a father.

A month away from turning four and the brown-eyed, brown haired little girl who was turning out to be a miniature Charlotte smiled, "Daddy, higher!"

Laughing, Graham nodded, "You sure, Minnow?" He could see the excitement on her face but asked anyway. He knew her answer would be yes.

"All the way to the moon!"

"The moon." Graham widened his eyes and pushed his oldest just a little bit higher. "All the way up there?"

"Yeah." Hattie looked up to the sky and searched for the cratered sphere. She closed her eyes as the wind blew through her hair and over her face. She laughed and got lost in her imagination.

Little arms snaked around Graham's legs and he looked down to a green-eyed little boy.

"Me up." Scott held up his arms and wanted his dad to pick him up. The two year old wanted a chance to fly. There wasn't anything better than having his father glide him through the air. "Pie me."

Grinning as he picked up Scott, Graham remembered how Hattie would say the same thing. "You wanna fly, Sailor? Alright..." Securing his boy in his arms, Graham acted as though Scott was a spaceship launching into the sky.

The little boy erupted into a fit of giggles, and his sister thought it was pretty funny too. "Go, Scott, go!" Hattie cheered him on and used her feet to slow the swing she was on.

Meanwhile, Charlotte walked out on the back porch and leaned on the doorframe as she watched her three most favorite people in the world play. Graham moved Scott from the rocket position and was now simply holding their son as Hattie chased them.

Charlotte needed to get this on the camera one of these days. She could watch Graham play with their kids like this every minute of every day. Feeling the baby shift, Charlotte rested her hand on the left side of her four-months pregnant big belly. Pretty soon he'd be playing with all three of their kids.

Seeing his wife on the porch, Graham slowed his pace and looked to the kids. "Alright guys, I think it's time for some basketball."

"Me!" Scott heard basketball and instantly smiled even brighter. Turned out the little guy was starting to love the sport just as much as his grandfather.

"A little longer..." Hattie still ran after her dad and threw her arms around his waist hoping he would play more. She liked basketball and all, but she was having fun with her brother and dad.

Acting out of breath, Graham stuck out his tongue. "You're gonna be the death of me, Minnow. I'm too old. We'll do it again tomorrow." Still trying to sell his fake fatigue, Graham breathed loudly.

"Promise?" Little brown eyes met big green ones.

Holding out his pinky, Graham nodded. "Promise."

Hattie locked pinkies with her father and hurried up the few steps of the porch to where her mom was.

"Having fun with Daddy, Hat?" Charlotte pressed her fingers through Hattie's hair to brush it back into place.

"Mmm-huh." The little girl nodded.

"Are you ready?" Graham eyed Charlotte and figured as much since she'd come out on the porch. He couldn't help but take a long look at her belly as she nodded. Four months was always a particularly scary month for them considering what had happened their first go around. But everything seemed to be going just fine so far. Mom was healthy, the baby was healthy, it was all Graham could ask for.

"Thanks for keeping them busy..." Charlotte turned to walk with her husband and felt him lean over and place a sweet kiss on the side of her head. She didn't need to thank him.

The family of four headed outside and were on their way to Trask Coliseum to cheer the UNCW Seahawks on. After coaching for twenty years, Nathan was on the verge of four-hundred and fifty career wins as the head coach of the nearby college team. If they beat Charleston Southern, he'd hit that milestone, but more that that, Charlotte's dad was being honored for his achievement with the program. It wasn't often that someone had such success so quickly. But apparently everyone had underestimated Nathan Scott's passion for the sport he loved.

So that's where the McFarland bunch was headed. Dressed and ready to go, Charlotte, Graham, and the kids loaded up in the car and drove to the nearby college campus. They were the first ones to arrive of the immediate family and Charlotte knew they should wait around for her mom and Jamie until they made their way over to the locker room.

Hattie and Scott also had something on their mind. Popcorn. So did Graham, and as soon as he had said the gym smelled like it, Hattie tugged on her dad's arm when she spotted the red and white vendor. "Can we get some?"

Graham looked down and it was as if she had him a trance. Hattie's little face and those captivating eyes of hers were going to make it hard for him to say no. Then to make matters worse, Scott looked to his dad from the stroller with the same face. Now he was really feeling the pressure.

Charlotte could see her husband struggling and tilted her head towards the vendor. "It might be a little while till we go to the tunnel. You can take them."

"Pah-corn!" Scott threw his little fists in the air and was eager for his dad to get him out of the stroller.

The brown-eyed thirty year old could only smile at her son and watched as Graham took the kids to get a snack. It wasn't long until she saw an older pair of those familiar brown eyes walking her way. Her mom walked towards her, and Charlotte was envious of her grace. Haley James Scott had to be one of the most classy ladies on the planet. Her kindness, her adoration for her family, and her desire to always help people were qualities Charlotte hoped she could pull off as well as her mom did. Even just a fraction would do.

The fifty five year old mother of two smiled at her youngest. "Hey." Haley greeted her daughter and looked around, "Where are the kids?"

"With Graham. He said something about popcorn and they both gave him the 'Dad, we know you can't say no to this face', look."

Haley laughed because it didn't seem like that long ago when Jamie and Charlotte were pulling the same tricks.

The crowds of students and Seahawk fans started to fill the rows of seats and Charlotte took a deep breath with a smile. "So does Dad still not know? About the award, I mean?" The award Nathan was getting was supposed to be a surprise.

"I don't think so. I know _I_ didn't tell him." Haley laughed at herself and was was actually pretty proud she hadn't spilled the beans. And Charlotte was glad too. It wasn't easy for her mom to keep anything from her dad. Nathan knew every single one of Haley's tells. The flush cheeks, the bit lip, the way she'd rub her thumb on her nails when she got nervous, or the way she'd spin her wedding ring; Nathan Scott knew Haley James to a tee.

The mascot ran out on the court and got the crowds' attention as it did funny dance moves to pump up their school spirit. Catching a good look at everyone there, Charlotte knew the athletic department and basketball staff at UNCW had done a pretty good job packing the place. The mass email they'd sent across campus asking students to come out and support the team and her dad obviously worked. It didn't look like there would be an empty seat in the house.

Pretty soon Haley and Charlotte saw a group of four walking their way that looked familiar. Headed by a thirty seven year old with blue eyes and his father's smirk, Jamie, Liza, Bennet, and Claire walked over with smiles.

"Hi, Grandma."

"Hi, Claire Bear." Haley hugged her seven year old granddaughter and smiled, "I like your dress."

Looking down at her Seahawk green dress, the second grader smiled, "Thank you. Yours is pretty too." Haley wasn't wearing Seahawk green but her dress did have a little bit of green on it. Somewhat of a tradition, you could say.

Charlotte noticed the color on her mom's outfit and found herself smiling. Her parents were so sweet even after nearly forty years together. It was the little things like that, that got Charlotte every time. In forty years she wanted to be doing the same things with Graham.

Jaime walked up to his sister and he hugged her, "How's it going?" He looked to her expanding belly and smiled.

"Pretty good." Charlotte laughed and rested her hands on her stomach, "Four months into baby number three and I'm pretty good." She smiled at him and looked at the paper in his hands, "How are _you_ doing? Are you nervous?" There was a podium set up at center court and Charlotte knew Jamie would be behind it soon enough.

Jamie looked at the speech in his hands and shook his head as his nerves started to swell. Yes he was nervous.

Liza leaned into her husband and smiled, "I've listened to him practice for the last week. He's gonna do great."

"What about you, Bennet?" Charlotte looked at her twelve year old nephew with a smile, "You've got a thing with speeches. I'm pretty sure you won everyone's hearts at my wedding."

It seemed like forever ago that Charlotte and Graham had gotten married, but almost six years did feel like forever. The good kind of forever.

Bennet shoved his hands in his pockets and shook his head, "Nah, Dad's got it handled." Bennet had been the life of the party when he was a younger, but standing up in front of _this_ many people wasn't exactly his thing. "I just wanna see Grandpa get his win. He deserves it."

Haley checked her watch and knew that they should go towards the locker room because Nathan would be coming out soon. "We should head that way."

Liza handed Claire the poster they'd made and the group made their way towards Nathan's office. Graham was making his way through the crowd with the kids and he met up with everyone as they walked to the locker room.

"Want some?" Graham held out the box of popcorn for Charlotte as they walked to the locker room.

Laughing, Charlotte shook her head. "I'm afraid if I start eating it I won't stop."

Graham laughed out loud. "Like how you made me go get you extra ice-cream when you ran out last night." He was pretty sure he'd bought _five_ gallons of mint-chocolate chip in the last month.

Smirking, and rubbing her hand on her stomach, Charlotte shrugged, "Don't blame me."

"So it's the baby's fault?" He leaned in and kissed her as Charlotte nodded. Graham just laughed at her answer.

While Charlotte and Graham were playfully flirting, everyone could hear Nathan speaking with the team through the doors. The group of young me yelled "Seahawks!" and then the college players and assistant coaches came through the doors.

Nathan brought up the rear just a minute later. He was wearing a black suit, white shirt, and navy tie. He had a clipboard in his hands and he stopped in his tracks when he saw nine people waiting for him in the tunnel.

Haley was standing in between Jamie and Charlotte and, Nathan started to smile with a little bit of bewilderment and deja vu, "What are you guys doing here?"

"We wanted to wish you luck." Haley smiled at her husband and then turned to look at the people behind her.

Charlotte already had a tear in her eye from her father's surprised look.

Claire held out the poster that said _Coach Scott is my Grandpa_. "We love you."

Hearing that small voice say something so sweet, and Charlotte's pregnancy emotions were starting to take its toll. Graham slipped one of his hands around her and reminded her that this was a good day. Her dad had done well.

Nathan subconsciously knew that his four-hundred and fiftieth win was close but he wasn't the kind to worry about individual numbers. He was a team player, and the nine people in front of him were his team. He walked up to Charlotte and gave his daughter a hug first.

"Good luck, Dad." She felt like a little girl again, wishing him well for his last NBA game, and Charlotte pulled away with a smile. This wasn't his last game as a coach, but it was just as special.

"Thanks, Char." Nathan nodded after he broke away from Charlotte and shook Graham's hand as little arms wrapped around his leg. Those brown eyes that matched Charlotte and Haley's stared up to him and she smiled.

"Win tonight."

Nathan smiled at the little girl, "We're gonna try." He walked over to Jamie and shook his son's hand, "Thanks, Jame." Jamie hadn't said anything but he didn't need to. Liza hugged her father in law and then Nathan hugged another young girl before approaching his oldest grandchild.

Bennet looked at Nathan with blue eyes and smiled, "The Buccaneers don't stand a chance." The pre-teen extended his hand but Nathan wasn't gonna settle with a hand shake. Hugging his grandson, Nathan started to feel a little emotional when he looked down the line of people supporting him. And the ones under the tunnel weren't the only people there. Lucas and Peyton, Brooke and Julian, Skills; _everyone _was there.

Charlotte started to walk to the court and looked back at her parents. They were still having their own moment. It was sweet really. They were hugging and Charlotte knew it was something they'd done since they'd been in high school. Her mom was always supporting her dad and things hand't changed. Between high school, college, the Bobcats, and coaching, Nathan and Haley had been bound by basketball and bound by love.

"Ladies and Gentlemen..."

Charlotte walked to the court where the family was supposed to stand and she was holding onto Graham's hand as tight as ever.

"...please get to your feet as we welcome Coach Nathan Scott onto the court."

An eruption of cheers echoed through the building and Charlotte was moved to tears again. Her mom led her dad to the court and then Haley stood next to her youngest. Graham could see his wife getting emotional and he ran his hand over her back. She turned to him and said a million words with just one look. It was thank you, it was I love you, it was all of the above.

Nathan looked around the the cheering students and saw that Jamie and the UNCW athletic director were standing at center court. Charlotte, Graham, Liza and the kids were standing just off to the side and applauded with everyone else as he walked across the floor.

The athletic directed nodded at Nathan and then smiled as he spoke, "Tonight we're honoring Coach Nathan Scott with an achievement award, thanking him for his twenty years with the program." The cheers echoed louder than before and Nathan felt himself get the chills. "Twenty years ago UNCW was fortunate enough to..."

Charlotte listened to the AD go on about her dad, was moved to more tears when Jamie spoke, and then nearly broke down again when Nathan thanked his family for helping him get where he was today. It was bittersweet listening to everyone rave about her father and even better that Graham was by her side. It didn't matter what it was or where they were, he had that way about him.

After the ceremony, the game started and without a surprise the UNCW Seahawks dominated the Charleston Southern Buccaneers. Following the game, everyone headed to Nathan and Haley's to finish the celebration, but with little kids, Charlotte and Graham didn't stay too long.

Scott was out just as soon as he got in the carseat, but Hattie was a fighter. She wasn't quite ready for bed. Graham pulled out of his in-laws driveway and looked at his daughter in the rearview mirror. He knew of something that might lull her to sleep.

"How bout a story, Hat?"

"The man in the moon, one?"

Charlotte really hated that one and posed another suggestion, "How about Poseidon?"

"Yeah..." Graham slowed the car to a stop and started to smile. "Ever hear the story about the tides, Minnow?" He knew she had, but continued anyway. "Legend has it that Poseidon wanted to lose some weight."

"That's funny." Hattie yawned, but tried to stay awake to listen to her dad.

"I know." Graham looked to Charlotte and knew his wife had heard this one. It was the first story he had ever told her. "So he wanted to lose weight and the only exercise he liked doing were arm circles. But Poseidon was a lazy guy. He only did them in each direction twice a day, meaning he went forwards twice and did backwards rotations twice." Graham held out his arms and steered his car with his leg for a second. "So he'd do this for a little while but what ended up happening was that his strength was so enormous that the tide started to come..."

Charlotte was watching Hattie nod off and turned around to face the front and saw two headlights veer into their lane. "Graham, watch out!"

Quickly swerving to get out of the way, the Coastie gripped the steering wheel and jerked his SUV right and then tried to straighten out.

Charlotte closed her eyes because she could feel the top heavy car start to tip.

Not about to get into an accident, Graham tried will all of his might to slow down and maintain control.

He did.

Slowing down as the light up ahead turned red, Graham looked to Charlotte and took her hand. "You okay?"

Charlotte was a little shaken from the close call, but she was okay. "Yeah."

They both looked at the kids and saw that Hattie and Scott were sound asleep. Scott had been zonked out since they left Charlotte's parents, and Hattie must have been in that initial deep sleep phase. It hadn't been but a minute since she'd fallen asleep that the other car veered into their lane. Graham hadn't had time to honk the horn, so apparently the jerkiness of the car didn't bother them.

"Fucking asshole..." The Coastie watched red headlights disappear into the dark night and he took a deep breath.

Reaching over to him, Charlotte rubbed his shoulder. "Hey, it's okay. You did good."

Maybe so, but that didn't mean he couldn't be pissed at the other irresponsible driver. This was his family they were messing with- his wife and their two children...three children, actually.

Shaken but trying to laugh it off, Charlotte cracked a smile. "It was probably Sawyer trying to get to my parents' house since she missed the game."

It wasn't because the make and model of the car hadn't been old enough. Graham eased off the brake as the light changed. "Did you ever hear from them? What made them miss it?"

Charlotte wasn't sure, but there was no telling what made Sawyer and Ben late. Just about anything could throw a wrench in their plan. "They probably couldn't agree about whose car to take."

"Probably."

It was actually much bigger than that, and Charlotte and Graham would find out later, but right now they could laugh and speculate about it until they got home.

When they did pull into their driveway, Graham got both of the kids and got them settled in their rooms pretty quickly. He was a pro at getting the kids to bed. Mack got comfortable between the Hattie and Scott's bedroom doors, and Graham walked down the steps feeling good that their dog was watching over them, but he still couldn't shake the bad feeling from the car ride.

Charlotte was lathering up with some co-co butter, trying to prevent any stretch marks that tried to linger on her skin, when she saw Graham come into their bedroom. He went straight to the closet and tossed on something to sleep in and and slid into the covers quietly.

Rubbing her hands together, Charlotte rested them on her stomach and turned to her husband. "Are you okay?"

He put both of his hands behind his head and he shook his head.

"Honey, we're fine..."

"But that was _so_ close, Charlotte. I could have overcorrected or lost control..."

"But you didn't." She knew they'd almost been in an accident, but somehow they got out of it. "And we're all okay because of it." Moving closer to him, Charlotte laid her head on his chest and felt one of his hands move around her side.

They were fine. They'd had a scare, but they were fine. Graham didn't have anything to worry about. Charlotte and Hattie and Scott were gonna be okay.

It was Graham they'd need to worry about.

Not tonight, and not for a little while longer; but it wasn't going to be a car accident that would soon threaten everything Charlotte and Graham had built. He wasn't going to be the one worrying about the safety of his family. They'd be worrying about him. The deep dark ocean wasn't forgiving and when she took her prisoners, they didn't all come back.

**OTHOTH**

Charlotte was sitting in her car with the air conditioner on full blast. The un-seasonably high temperatures made Tree Hill feel more like July and August instead of early May. Ice-cream melted way too quickly, sunburn came without fail, and battery operated fans were necessary for taking the kids to the park.

Charlotte would have gone inside the cooled building just in front of her, but the walk meant she had to get out in the blaring sun. Right now she was perfectly content sitting in the parking lot of Dr. Walker's office while she waited on her husband. Graham was on his way from the base. He'd be there soon.

Now at six months, Charlotte was going in for a routine check-up to make sure she and the baby were progressing as they should. So far so good, and they expected more of the same.

Leaning back against the leather, Charlotte held her hands out to the air conditioner and silently thanked whoever thought of putting them in cars. A white car that pulled up next to her caught Charlotte's attention and she smiled at the handsome man in uniform that got out. He was in his utility blues, and Graham never looked bad in those.

Walking over to his wife's car, the Coastie knocked his knuckle against the glass and leaned into the window as she rolled it down. Graham smiled when he felt the arctic air blast him in the face as he got closer to her.

Charlotte took a deep breath and knew he might get mad at her for wasting gas. "It's just so nice in here."

He nodded and leaned further into the car to kiss her. "I bet." He moved away and laughed at the car's thermostat. "You've got it freezing in here."

"But it beats me just stripping, right here and right now."

Laughing because he knew she'd never do that, Graham smirked. "Maybe..."

He better stop with that grin and that uniform. Charlotte was in a precarious state of mind. Push her buttons and she might just do something unexpected.

Seeing her eyes widen, the Coastie leaned closer, "I might like a free show."

Pressing the button so the window rolled up, Charlotte turned off the car and then slowly opened the door. Her mood passed and she shut the door with a laugh. "You've gotten your fair of free shows. How do you think I ended up like this?"

Graham could only laugh as they both looked at her growing belly. "...a coincidence?"

Pushing him away, Charlotte rolled her eyes and watched Graham open the doctor's office door for her. He was an officer and a gentleman after all.

After finding seats and waiting for just a little while, Lieutenant Commander and Mrs. McFarland headed back to a small exam room for Dr. Walker. Graham helped Charlotte in the chair and started to pace around the room while they waited.

Noticing her husband's antsy demeanor, Charlotte leaned back in the chair and rested her hands on her stomach. "You want to know, don't you?" They'd decided they would keep that baby's gender a surprise until the baby was born, but with an ultrasound on its way, Charlotte knew they'd have the opportunity to find out today.

"Kinda."

She could see it all over his face. Graham wanted to know. They'd been really good about not asking, but it would be nice to know so they could decorate the room and get things ready. "We can ask."

"Yeah?" Graham started to smile and wanted to make sure. "If you want to wait, we..."

"I don't want to wait." Truthfully Charlotte was going along with it because she thought Graham wanted to wait. If he didn't, they they might as well find out.

Walking closer to his wife, Graham's hand found her belly and he sneaked it under her shirt. "I'm thinking..." He tried to figure out if it was a boy or girl and settled on one. "...it's a boy."

Closing her eyes and her husband's touch, Charlotte nodded, "Me too." For whatever reason, Charlotte thought the same thing.

The door of the the exam room opened and Dr. Walker made his way into the room with a smile. He was holding onto the clipboard and looked to the expecting parents happily. "Charlotte, Graham. Always good to see you two."

Shaking Dr. Walker's hand, "You as well..." Looking back at Charlotte, Graham grinned, "We were just saying how we think it's a boy."

"Oh yeah?" Dr. Walker smiled at Graham and walked over to Charlotte. "Is that right? So y'all decided you wanted to find out, huh?"

Running her hands over her belly, Charlotte nodded, "I guess we couldn't wait until the end."

Grabbing the tube of jelly, Dr. Walker nodded, "Most people can't." He raised Charlotte's shirt and smothered the ultrasound jelly on her stomach. "And how are you feeling these days? Everything going well?"

"Really well, actually." Charlotte looked to her feet and laughed. "With Scott my ankles were swollen from day one and right now I feel like I could walk a hundred miles if I had to."

Dr. Walker laughed with a nod as he started to run the transducer probe to find a clear picture of the baby. "That's good to hear, Charlotte."

A soft echo came from the machine and all three of them knew that was an even better sound to hear.

"The baby sounds strong." Graham walked closer to Charlotte's head and they both watched the image on the screen turn into something recognizable as the heart beat continued to sound powerful and steady.

Rolling the probe over just a little, Dr. Walker stopped and pointed to the screen. "There we go..."

Graham took Charlotte's hand because he knew they were about to find out.

Turning to the couple in front of him, Dr. Walker grinned, "Congratulations, guys. It's a girl."

Looking to Graham, Charlotte smiled and leaned her head back against the chair with a laugh. "We were both wrong."

"But I"m okay with it." Graham really didn't mind another girl. He and Scott would be outnumbered, but that wouldn't be such a bad thing.

"Me, too."

Tossing his gloves in the trash, Dr. Walker rolled over to the counter and scanned over Charlotte's chart. "I'll send Sharon in here to finish up. Everything's looking good. You know if you have questions or concerns I'm always available."

"Thank you."

"Thanks."

Both Charlotte and Graham thanked their doctor and only had to stay another fifteen minutes until they were finished. They walked out of the building together and Graham walked with Charlotte to her car.

"So..." Graham watched Charlotte get in her wagon and he leaned against the door with his forearm near the roof, "Another girl, huh?"

"Yep." Charlotte cranked up the AC as she started her car and looked back to her husband. "I guess we can start thinking about names. Maybe we can make a list tonight?"

Graham nodded, "Sounds good." He leaned through the window and kissed her. "I might get home a little late, though, so you can start narrowing it down without me. I think I'm gonna try and pick up some extra late shifts so I can get out of the August patrol. I don't want miss it when _she's_ born."

"Oh...okay." Happy that he was thinking ahead, Charlotte smiled. "Any names you want me to keep in mind while I start the list?"

He hadn't really thought about it. "Not really. We can figure it out later."

Charlotte's phone started to ring and she knew it was Sawyer before she even looked at the screen. "I bet that's my lunch date."

Nodding, Graham patted the door of Charlotte's car and started to walk away. "I'll see you at home."

"Bye." The brown-eyed mother of two watched her Coastie walk to his car and she answered her phone. "I know...I know...I'm on my way."

"Ugh...thank, God. I was about to leave without you."

Charlotte laughed and started to pull out of her parking space. "Well, I'm just now leaving so do you want to meet there?" The plan was for Charlotte to swing by Sawyer's and pick her up, but there might be a change of plans.

Given the fact that Sawyer was still capable of driving her beloved Karmann Ghia, that would be a yes. "Works for me. As long as I can fit behind the steering wheel, I'm _all_ about driving. Pretty soon this pregnancy will sequester me to a dumb...mini van or wagon." She rested her hand on her stomach and took a deep breath. Baby Trammell needed to stay little for as long as possible. Sawyer wasn't ready to give up her kick as car.

"Hey...my wagon is _cute_." Laughing, Charlotte tried to defend her mom car. "At least you have a couple more months until that happens." Sawyer was now just over three months along and she still had some time to drive around in her cool convertible.

"Don't remind me." Sawyer took a deep breath and didn't want to think about giving up her precious car. It was going to be a very emotional day when the time came to put it in the garage on a permanent basis.

Laughing, Charlotte couldn't help but shake her head at Sawyer. Never in a million years did she think Sawyer would end up with a baby on board. But life worked out like that. Just a few months behind Charlotte, Sawyer and Ben were in for some exciting times ahead. They were preparing for a baby and Sawyer was taking it in stride...more or less. Their happy accident hadn't been planned and came as a shock, but they were making it work.

Charlotte could still remember how Sawyer told her she was pregnant just like it was yesterday.

_Folding a basket of clothes as she watched a daytime talk show, Charlotte heard the door open and she saw her older cousin and best friend walk inside her house._

_Turning the volume down, Charlotte smiled. "About time." The brunette hadn't seen Sawyer in what felt like forever. "Where have you been? We missed you at Dad's game the other night."_

"_Yeah um..." Sawyer pushed her sunglasses into her hair and laughed while taking a seat. "It's a long story."_

"_I've got time." Charlotte was spending the day with laundry. Scott was taking his afternoon nap and Hattie was at her toddler tumbling class._

"_Okay, well...I've got a hypothetical for you."_

_Charlotte smiled as she folded one of Graham's shirts across her lap. "Alright."_

"_Let's say...hypothetically... that a young, independent, career driven person found herself in a jam. She didn't know what to do. She's got a boyfriend...that she adores. She won't marry him, but she loves him... And three days ago this person found out something she wasn't expecting." Sawyer was still processing the news in her head and she paused to collect her thoughts._

_This hypothetical situation was sounding familiar and Charlotte stopped folding the clothes while Sawyer thought things over.. Charlotte was a smart girl. It didn't' take her long to put things together. "Wait, wait...are you...? Are you saying that... Are you pregnant?"_

_Nodding, Sawyer laughed. "Hypothetically."_

"_Sawyer..." Charlotte scooted over to her best friend and hugged her. "Oh my gosh!"_

"_I know." Sawyer smiled and hugged Charlotte tight. The older of the two could feel herself getting choked up."It was a total accident."_

_Charlotte didn't doubt that. It must have been an accident. Babies weren't something Sawyer purposefully got into. "So did you take a test?"_

"_Twelve." Sawyer laughed a little embarrassed that she took so many, but she was a nervous wreck thinking about becoming a mom. "And then we went to the doctor and they called back this morning." She was pregnant, definitely pregnant. _

"_This is great, Sawyer." Moving away from her cousin, Charlotte wanted to know how she was doing. "So...where's your head?"_

"_That's the thing...I have no idea how to handle this. I'm walking on pins and needles thinking I'm doing everything wrong. Like what do I eat? What do I drink? What do I do? What do I not do...?" Sawyer laughed and then shrugged her shoulders. "But honestly...other than that, I'm actually really happy about it. I told myself for so many years that I never wanted this...but now..." Sawyer took a deep breath and smiled, "I'm having a baby, Charlotte."_

"_I know." Charlotte couldn't contain her happy emotions either. She fanned her face in hopes of keeping any tears away for now._

_Feeling herself get emotional, Sawyer tried to keep any happy tears at bay, too. If she started crying then so would Charlotte. They'd be one giant mess of hormones. Sawyer's voice got soft and quiet and she looked to her best friend thinking about her baby daddy, "And you should see Ben. He's over the moon. I've never see him so happy." Ben was completely and utterly in love with the idea of having a baby- in love with the fact that Sawyer was having his child._

"_Well I'm sure." Charlotte shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe it..." She looked to Sawyer's flat stomach and smiled, "...we're pregnant together."_

"_I know...who knew, right?" Sawyer took a deep breath and remembered Charlotte was due in August. "I'm due in November."_

_Standing up, Charlotte motioned for Sawyer to follow her upstairs. "Come here. I want to show you something." _

_The two thirty somethings walked up the creaky steps and Charlotte cracked open the door to Scott's room. Sawyer and Charlotte tip-toed in and stopped by his bed. The two year old was sound asleep. His pajamas had little anchors on them and his soft breaths sounded like the ocean. He was Graham's child, through and through._

_Charlotte leaned into Sawyer's side and smiled with a nod. "You'll never love someone like you love your child." She glanced at her sleeping boy and felt her heart warm. "Before... you never think you could love something so instantly, but when they put him on your chest..." Charlotte closed her eyes and could remember the feeling she had when Scott was born- Hattie, too. "I can't even describe it, Saw. It means that much."_

_Feeling her stomach flip as she started to imagine the day she and Ben would have in November, Sawyer nodded. "I'm scared though, Charlotte."_

"_And that's okay." Charlotte quietly laughed and walked with her best friend out of the room. "You've got me, your mom and dad, Keith and Bridget just went through all of this with Kit,...my mom, too. Liza knows everything when it comes to babies and medicine, and Brooke will probably be at your beck and call..." Charlotte smiled because it was the truth. "And you have Ben." Seeing that Sawyer was still trying to find a way to wrap her head around it, Charlotte wrapped her cousin up in a big hug. "Everything's gonna be okay."_

And it would be. For a little while at least. Charlotte parked next to Sawyer's car and walked into the Mexican restaurant. They'd been to K-38 so many times Charlotte didn't even need to ask the hostess where Sawyer was. She was at _their_ table.

Scooping a large amount of salsa into her mouth, Sawyer crunched down on the chip and waved Charlotte over. "Now we can order."

Laughing, Charlotte sat down and had to sit back a little bit so her stomach wasn't pressed up against the table. "Sorry. I hit just about every red light over here."

"Mmm-huh. That or your _mom_ car is just too slow." Sawyer tilted her head and crammed another chip in her mouth.

"My car...is actually very fast. I'm not just _reckless_." Charlotte had an Audi. It was a nice car, a very nice car that could be fast when she wanted it to be.

"Well...I'm going to look at cars tomorrow. Hopefully I can at least find something cool."

"And safe..." Charlotte laughed as she bit into a chip.

Shrugging, Sawyer wasn't so concerned with safety. As long as it had a hard roof and a back seat suited for carseats, then she was golden. "Sure." Her conflicting ideas about the proper car would probably be one of they many things she and Ben argued about, but as far as she was concerned...it was her car. Hers. Not his. Hers. "But anyways, how was the appointment? Everything alright?"

"Yeah. Its' great." Charlotte nodded with a smile. Her face started to blush and that sweet smirk she'd inherited from her dad started to appear. "We're having a girl."

Mid chip break, Sawyer's eyes got wide. "You are?" She watched Charlotte nod and Sawyer started to laugh. "Better you than me."

Grinning because Sawyer wasn't fond of the idea of having a girl, Charlotte shrugged, "They're not so bad, Sawyer."

"Um...do you not remember how _terrible_ I was? I was a hellion child, demon pre-teen, and a sarcastic _bitch_ in high school- and I don't think I've even grown out of that phase but...I'm not ready for that. Hattie is a adorable, and I'm sure this new one will be, too. I just need to have a boy first so I can get my bearings."

"You do know you just jinxed yourself."

"What?" Sawyer furrowed her brow. "No I didn't." Knocking her knuckles against the wooden table, Sawyer's eyes got wide, "Nah-uh. Stop it." She watched Charlotte nod and the blonde quickly poured a handful of salt in her hand and threw it over her shoulder.

"Sawyer!" Charlotte saw the specks of white land on the back of a fellow lunch-goer. The man turned around and Charlotte shot him an apologetic look, "_So_ sorry."

Wincing, Sawyer hunkered down in her chair and laughed. "Whoops...let's just eat."

Charlotte thought that was a good idea, and considering the way baby Mac was kicking, Charlotte knew she wasn't the only one hungry.

Two enchiladas, a soft taco, and part of Sawyer's fajita plate later, and Charlotte was stuffed. Sawyer was still at it though. She was an eating machine. It was only after the waiter took her plate that she finished; there hadn't been anything left.

"Let's go nap..." Tossing her napkin on the table, the blonde leaned back.

That sounded good but Charlotte knew they were supposed to go meet the older women at Clothes over Bro's. Brooke had a plethora of baby clothes she wanted to show the girls, and Peyton and Haley would love to see their daughter's ever expanding bellies. "We can nap right after we get done with baby clothes."

"Ugh..." Closing her eyes, Sawyer wasn't even sure why they needed to go check out Brooke's latest designs. Sawyer didn't know what she was having so picking out clothes seemed kinda dumb. "Can you go and just say I was there?"

Scooting her chair back, Charlotte laughed. "I think they might notice."

They would. So the two thirty somethings headed outside for their cars. Sawyer left a trail of dust in her wake and Charlotte pulled out of the parking lot just behind her. Headed downtown towards the Cape, neither of them noticed the ominous, gray clouds that were slowly approaching from the east. A storm was blowing in. And it was this particular storm and subsequent events that took place as the winds howled on that open sea that would shake things up and re-write history. It was the beginning of a tragedy that would re-write destiny.

And unfortunately, nobody knew that. They wouldn't have time to prepare or get ready. Charlotte and Graham would have to deal with it head on, without warning, and without each other.

**OTHOTH**

Later in the evening, the McFarland household was getting ready for dinner. The weather had turned sour and blurred the once blue skies into gray. Charlotte plopped the kids in front of the television while she got to work in the kitchen, but Hattie wasn't so interested in the movie catered more for her younger brother.

Sliding off the couch, the little brown-eyed girl walked over to the nearby windows. She was standing by the back door watching the rain dampen the ground around the swing set. She watched the water bounce off the slide and drain into a puddle of murky water. It sure was raining. Then as the water fell from the sky, she felt something soft and warm nudge her side. Instinctively wrapping her arms around their golden retriever, the four year old softly spoke as she rested her head by Mack's, "Can't go outside, Mack. It's _raining_."

Blowing some air through his nose, the dog seemed to understand. He stood there with Hattie for a little while and then the girl hurried over to where her mom was.

"Mama, can I help?"

Charlotte closed the stove and knew there really wasn't much Hattie could help with. "I'm about done, Hat."

"So nothing?" The little girl held out her hands. "What 'bout dezert?" Hattie was pulling out all the stops. There had to be something she could help with.

Charlotte looked to the pantry and knew of something that was easy to throw together. "I know something we can make for dessert." As long as she had a box of cake mix and a jar of canned pie filling, it would work.

"Cookies?" Hattie's big brown eyed widened with hope.

"Better."

Better? What was better than cookies? Hattie scrunched up her little nose and watched her mom walk into the pantry.

Charlotte returned with a few things in her hands, got out the necessary dish, and handed Hattie the box of cake mix. The four year old was standing on a pulled up chair and Charlotte nodded, "Dump it in, Minnow."

"Mama...that's what _Daddy_ calls me. Not you."

Biting her lip, Charlotte laughed, "Oh, _I _can't call you that?" The mother of two smiled at her oldest and popped the top off of the cherry pie filling.

Shaking her head, Hattie concentrated on pouring the cake mix in the bottom of the pan. "Nope."

"Well..." Charlotte poured in some of the pie filling and motioned for Hattie to safe the rest of the cake mix for the top. "Can I call you...Squirt?" That was one of Ben's many nicknames for her kids and Charlotte watched Hattie shake her head. "What about Mad Hatter?"

"No...! That's Sawyer's." Hattie laughed and stomped her little feet on the chair, "Mama, _you_ call me Hattie."

"I do?"

"Mmm-huh."

Charlotte watched her daughter dump the rest of the the cake mix in, and the near thirty-one year old wrapped her arms around Hattie's waist. "But sometimes it's just Hat, right?"

Narrowing her eyes, Hattie nodded. "Sometimes."

The Coastie wife kissed her daughter's cheek and smiled as she looked to their quickly concocted dessert. "And you know what we call that?"

"Dezert."

Charlotte laughed out loud at Hattie's response. "True, but we call it dump cake. You've had it before. It's one of Daddy's favorites."

"Oh..." Hattie slowly nodded and then eyed her mom's belly. "What about the baby? What are you gonna call the baby?"

"I don't know yet. When your dad gets home we were gonna talk about it." Charlotte saw the excitement flicker in those brown eyes of Hattie's. "But he probably won't be home until after you go to bed. He's working late."

The base wasn't busy and Graham was hanging out in the control room with Drew. Unless something was going on, it could get kind of boring, so the two Coasties were playing connect the dots on the radar.

"It's a bunny...look." Graham pointed at what looked like two floppy ears, "How can you not see it. It's all up in the upper quadrant."

"Dude it's _not_ a bunny." Drew laughed and shook his head. "It's a missile."

"What?" Graham looked at the dots and knew it wasn't a missile. "There's no way."

In the background the radio picked up a static call for help.

"Anybody there? This is the Windsong, and we're taking on water. Lost an engine and the other's running hot..." White noise filled the room and the man's voice came and went in waves. "We've got five aboard..."

Drew hurried over to the radio and clicked the button. "Windsong this is USCG base five-four-two. Go ahead with your position."

The captain of the boat heard the voice calling back to him and the man sighed in relief. "Yeah, yeah, we're about one hundred and fifty miles east of Kure Beach. Longitude..."

Graham looked at the map and knew they were about to go out and get this group of fishermen. He needed to go tell Trevor and Carter to suit up. Langston and Billings were probably already out by the flight deck.

"We've locked your coordinates, sir, and we're sending a team now. Does anyone need medical assistance."

The captain felt his boat tip and dip with the waves, "One of our guys burned his arm, but no, nothing life or death." The rain pounded against his vessel, and he wasn't so sure this was going to be a routine pick up. "It's raining pretty badly out here. The wind's aren't letting up."

"Our team is equipped to handle the weather, sir. What I need you to do is to get your guys together and any safety equipment you may have on board. Rafts, suits...whatever..."

As Drew went on to talk with the captain, Graham hustled to the locker room and saw Trevor and Carter lifting weights. "Get dressed, boys. We've got a boat in distress."

Whistling, Trevor clapped his hands and hurried to pull on his suit and gear. They'd done this a million times, but the jolt of adrenaline that rushed through their veins as they got ready to fly intensified each and every mission.

Straps tightened, buckles clipped, their gear slung around their shoulders, the three rescue swimmers ran out to meet their pilot and co-pilot. Captain Billings opened up the door for the guys and shielded the rain from his face. He told them the generics as they packed into the chopper. It would take thirty minutes to get to the boat, and as far as he knew, there were no serious injuries. It should be pretty routine.

"Weather might cause some trouble, but we'll keep an eye on it." Billings nodded at his guys and shut the cabin door. He hurried over to the co-pilot's door and jumped in his seat as Captain Langston fired up the blades.

The whipping sound was loud and sent vibrations through Graham's body. He checked their supplies, buckled into his seat, and felt the helicopter lift off the ground.

"Buzz... Buzz..." Scott zoomed a little toy plane above his head and stuck his tongue out as he maneuvered it through the air. He'd just finished his with his bath and was now waiting for his mom to tuck him in.

Charlotte dried off her hands and hit the bathroom light before she walked into their son's room. "What are you doing, mister?" She eyed Scott and put her hands on her hips with a smile. He didn't look like he was ready for bed.

Still holding that plane high above his head, Scott smiled. "Pieing."

The thirty year old walked closer to her little boy and nodded, "What about bed?"

"Me no sweepy." Flying his toy plane was much more entertaining.

Charlotte smiled at Scott's sweet little face. She knelt down by his toddler bed and ran her hands over his newly washed hair. "It's bedtime buddy, not playtime."

Scott furrowed his little brow and frowned. He'd wanted to play longer. He dropped his toy plane and when the plastic hit the hardwood, it made a loud noise that echoed down the hall.

Graham felt the helicopter sway with the wind and his back slammed against the cabin as the turbulence got worse. It felt as if he was on a simulated ride- as if some eager, small child was controlling their flight path.

"Steady boy..." Captain Langston manned the throttle and tried to keep the helicopter in a straight line. The weather was not helping. Mother Nature wasn't letting up with this early summer storm. The winds were pushing the aircraft all around the place and the rain wasn't quitting anytime soon.

Grabbing onto the nearest thing to hold onto, Graham had a grip that was unwavering. Things were getting kind of rough.

"Coming up on vessel coordinates, take your places, men." Co-pilot Billings spoke through his helmet and let the team know they were close to the boat.

Trevor started to unbuckle and looked to Carter and Graham, "So who's going first?" He looked outside and knew the conditions were going to be less than favorable. The wind was howling and the rain was coming down in white sheets. "I'll can drop down first."

"I'll go second." Carter nodded. "Graham you wanna stay up here?"

"Sure." He nodded and started to move out of his seat.

"Closing in on the distressed Windsong. All clear to open up shop." Captain Langston spotted the sinking ship and nodded to Billings.

Billings clicked a few buttons on the control panel and held is arm up. "Mission's a go."

Trevor slid the heavy door of the helicopter open and looked down to the thick sea. Waves were churring in every direction and he turned to his buddies as he took his helmet off. "Say a prayer, pals..." He was about to jump into a hell hole.

Graham watched Trevor jump out of the chopper and knew he'd signal them when he surfaced. Trevor bobbed to the surface and started to cut through the water as he swam towards the boat. "Swimmer's in the water."

Trevor was just about as fast as Graham and he made it to the boat in no time. He climbed aboard and could see the water coming up from the bottom of the boat. It was an old fishing ship that looked like it would be better suited outside of a seafood restaurant for decorations. Trevor took off his mask and snorkel and waved at the fishermen. "USCG, you fellas ready to get out of here?" Always the jovial spirit, Trevor smiled and pointed at the chopper. "Where's my burn victim. We'll get him up first."

A young guy who looked about twenty raised a finger. "Me." He was soaking wet from the rain and trembling with nerves. He didn't sign up to fish for this kind of experience.

"Alright, I'm gonna signal to my guys up there to send down the basket."

Graham looked for Trevor's arm movements and nodded at Carter. "After you jump, I'll send down the basket." Carter gave Graham a thumbs up and jumped from the helicopter cabin. He splashed into the water, and the green-eyed father of two watched the other rescue swimmer head for the boat. "Swimmer two is in the water. Repeat, swimmer two is good." Walking over to get the basket ready, Graham dropped it out of the cabin and slowly lowered it toward the water. "Basket's on its way down." He flipped the levers to lower the strong cable into the ever intensifying sea.

Billings spotted a mammoth wave and shook his head. "We've got major waves in the impact zone. Gotta hustle, guys."

Making sure the cable ran out smoothly, Graham watched the basket swing from side to side. The wind was pushing it in the wrong direction making it hard to steer. Not only that, but the cable kept spinning the basket so it was a giant rotating death trap. If it knocked into somebody, they wouldn't have a chance. Everyone needed to be free and clear of it.

"Move over...Scott." The four year old looked at her little brother and wasn't happy that he was taking up most of the space. Even though it was _his_ bed, she wanted a little more room to sit. Hattie had come into his room when she heard her mom start to sing. She didn't want to miss it.

"Shh..." Charlotte eyed her oldest. If there was going to be fighting then Charlotte didn't have to sing. It was just something that got the kids to settle down. She wasn't quite up to her mom's singing caliber by any means, but Charlotte could carry a tune. Hattie got quiet and Charlotte started from the beginning. "Before Lord God made the sea and the land. He held all the stars in the palm of his hand..." Reaching out for one of each of her child's hands, Charlotte smiled. "And they ran through his fingers like grains of sand, And one little star fell alone." Just like clockwork Scott yawned but Charlotte continued, "Then the Lord God hunted through the wide night air, for the little dark star on the wind down there." Scott was fading fast and Charlotte let go of his hand and put it on her stomach reminding the new baby she was singing to her too, "And he stated and promised he'd take special care so it wouldn't get lost again..."

"We're losing it, we're losing it!" Graham saw the bucket swing towards the boat and get tangled on the uprights. This fishing masts were towering beams and the basket was now wrapped around the left side like stripes on a candy cane.

"Fucking hell..." Captain Langston pulled back on the throttle but could tell that the cable was taught. It was caught on the boat and putting strain on the helicopter's engine. If they blew a gasket then it was over. It was all over.

Graham was fighting with the basket but knew it was no use. He needed to hit the emergency eject button. "I've got to cut it loose!" Yelling as the rain and wind drowned out anything audible, the Coastie pressed the red button discharging the basket but nothing happened.

"McFarland, get it undone!"

He was trying, but something was jammed. "It's stuck."

"What are they doing...?" Trevor watched in horror down on the ship deck as the basket twisted around the sinking vessel. He looked at the cluster of fishermen aboard and pointed at the inflatable life raft they had. "Get off. Jump in the water. Get off now! That chopper's gonna pull us under or crash right on top of us. Get off!" Trevor threw the supplies in the water and watched as the fishermen jumped in the roaring sea. "Carter, get that thing inflated!"

Caught in a moment of panic, Carter could only float helplessly as he watched the helicopter start to swing side to side. Why weren't they cutting the line?

Trevor ran up the side of the boat and tried to free the hung basket. It was too heavy for him to get alone but he wasn't going to stop trying. Those were his friends up there. This could be life or death.

Captain Langston felt the tail of the chopper start to spin left. Correcting, he throttled up and heard the emergency buzzers going off. He picked up his radio, "Mayday! Mayday...! This is Langston with HC-five-eight-three. Mayday. Ma..."

A flash of lighting lit up Scott's bedroom as Charlotte sang the next verse. "Now a man don't mind if the stars grow dim, and the clouds blow over and darken him. So long as the Lord God's watching over them." Leaning over to kiss her kids, Charlotte quietly skipped ahead to the last verse of the song. "...and we're lost out here in the stars. Little stars, big stars, blowing through...the night..."

Everything happened in slow motion. Suddenly the stars disappeared and Graham was thrown backwards as the helicopter started to tailspin into the water. He heard the blades chilling echoes pulse in his ear as they slowed in speed. High pitched alarms screeched like a boiling kettle. And then there was the unnatural silence before impact. Gravity faltered and for a second he was floating until his body slammed against the hard metal frame of the chopper, and his mouth filled with blood just as soon as the cabin started to fill with water. It was all too fast for him to react. A few blinks and he felt the Atlantic start to squeeze at his chest. The water was rising.

As the chopper sank toward the ocean floor, it was pitch black and nobody knew which way was up and which way was down. Time was running out and Graham didn't know if Langston and Billings had even survived the crash. He wasn't even sure if he was alive.

The water engulfed his body and it was only a matter of moments before his head would be under. Dazed and completely unaware of the things around him, Graham took one last breath and felt the pressure of the sinking chopper take him down. It didn't take but twenty nine seconds for the helicopter to succumb to the sea.

The arms of the ocean wrapped around Graham and pulled him to the bottom of the never ending abyss. He couldn't move. He couldn't think. Graham couldn't do a thing. Be it his injuries or shock, something was keeping him from finding a way out. And just as quickly as it had happened, all the world went black. In an instant everything changed.

Surrounded in the black shadows of the Atlantic, Graham's eyes closed, and he started to feel his chest tighten as the water pressure intensified. This was it.

In a different kind of darkness, Charlotte woke up when she heard a knock on the front door. She reached out for Graham's spot. He wasn't there. The darkness of their bedroom made things seem unfamiliar and there was a cold spot on the sheets where her husband was supposed to be. The brown-eyed mother of two slowly and quietly got out of bed and walked to the front door. She saw headlights in the driveway and the rain was still coming down pretty hard. Her hands settled on her bump and she blinked away her sleep before opening the door, completely and utterly unaware of the news she was about to receive.

Standing on her doorstep, Ben looked at the woman his best friend married. "Charlot..." His voice broke before he could finish saying her name.

Seeing him brought any sleepiness away from her system and Charlotte's mind started to race. She looked to the person standing next to Ben. "Sawyer...?" Why was she there? "Whe...Where's Graham?" Her question fell out of her mouth before she knew she asked it. And at the single mention of his name and Sawyer had to turn away. Immediately, Charlotte felt her knees grow weak upon seeing this. "No..." Her lip started to quiver and she could only shake her head, "Please... No..."

"Charlotte..." Ben couldn't' stand this. He couldn't bare to see Charlotte so upset, but if anyone was going to relay the information it was going to be him.

Anything that came out of anyone's mouth now became white noise. Charlotte stood frozen in place and felt her chest ache like it never had before. Her hands clutched her stomach but nothing was helping with the pain. She was drowning on dry land.

How was she supposed to live without him? How was she supposed to raise their children? How was she supposed to have this baby without him?

It was all too much. Charlotte's head started to spin, and she didn't know if she was supposed to throw up, scream, cry, or hit something. Her world was falling apart and she was falling down. Ben grabbed a hold of her before she hit the ground, but it was useless. Charlotte was a wreck.

Couldn't this be a dream? Couldn't it all be in her head?

No. Not this time. This was her nightmare and it was just beginning.

**OTHOTH**

**I'm ducking from anything you may be throwing my way. I know...I know, I'm terrible. Terrible for a few reasons. How could I leave it like that and how could I do that to Graham. Is he really dead? How will Charlotte cope? How will her family keep her whole in times of doubt and tragedy? And what about the baby? Going through something so traumatic can't be good for the baby, can it? It'll all play out in the coming chapters and we'll see Charlotte come to terms with everything and how they (everyone) will move forward.**

**My reviewers. You know how I feel about you. You are a box of chocolates to my Forrest Gump. I just want to eat you up!**

**XoxoNALEYxoxo: At least I put Sawyer and Ben back together! That counts for something, right? I'm so glad you've liked what I've done thus far.**

**Chrissy: Thanks for the feedback. I'm so glad you liked the last chapter. As you can see, the accident includes Graham instead of Charlotte and the kids. Hopefully you still enjoyed it.**

**Riley: Thanks for the review! I actually haven't seen any full episodes of season nine so it would be really hard to write one shots for the season. However, I am planning to revamp a LM chapter and post it as a one shot to say goodbye to the show more or less. It will take place after season 9. Check my profile for more info.**

**Joan: I'm so glad to know that I renew your love for C/G each time I write them. I have to agree. I think it is really sweet that Graham called Scott "Sailor". About Davis and Amelia...probably. I already have their first baby's name and gender picked out it's just going to be a matter of when I can include that in either Charlotte or Sawyer's story. Yeah...the brown pelican thing turned out to be disastrous, but at least Sawyer and Ben are back together!**

**Review Please!**


	30. The Man in the Moon

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 30: The Man in the Moon**

**Disclaimer: For the thirtieth time...I do not own anything related to the show. **

**A/N: Here we go, guys. Lets pick up right where we left off and watch the unraveling of it all. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

She couldn't breathe. Charlotte couldn't speak. She felt as though a rush of cold blood had driven right into the center of her heart, freezing her entire body. She was numb.

He couldn't breathe. Graham couldn't speak. He felt as though the ocean had swallowed him whole, paralyzing his entire body. _He_ was numb.

Fighting against the tears, against the current, against themselves, and against all odds, Charlotte and Graham were losing it. They were losing each other.

That first Diligence Dash, their first kiss, the time Charlotte knocked him off the sailboat, Graham dropping the engagement ring, the wedding, the miscarriage, Hattie, Scott... It was all sinking to the bottom of the endless ocean and there was nothing either one of them could do about it.

But while Charlotte and Graham found themselves at the mercy of the tides, everyone one around them was trying their best to see to it that the unthinkable didn't happen. Instead of letting them drift into thoughts of loneliness, death, and despair, their friends and family tried desperately to pull Charlotte and Graham safely ashore.

After the initial impact, co-pilot John Billings felt that same water that enveloped Graham wrap around his body and pull him under. Unlike Graham who'd been thrown against an interior wall of the chopper, co-pilot Billings had been secured in his seat. He'd smacked his face into the control panel and was nursing a broken nose, but he was alert enough to know he needed to get out of the sinking aircraft- fast. Looking over to his lead pilot, Billings saw that Langston was missing from his seat. The captain must have gotten out or been thrown through the window. Either way, time was ticking and Billings didn't have long to get away from the helicopter before it anchored him to the bottom of the deep, blue sea.

He'd been trained for a crisis like this, but John never thought it would actually ever happen. His survival instinct kicked in and he tore away from his straps as quickly as he could. The water was up to his chest and he was sure that the flood gates of hell had been opened. It would only be a few more seconds before the helicopter sank to the bottom, transforming into a hearse as it made its way to the depths of the Atlantic graveyard.

Billings managed to climb out of his chair and looked to the open cargo door. Water was pouring in from that direction but it was the only way out.

His eyes were adjusting to the dim light, and just as John started to push through the incoming water, something orange caught his eye. Was that Langston? Was that McFarland? Billings didn't have time to answer or even think. Adrenaline was taking over and the able bodied co-pilot acted out of panic and of loyalty. He reached out for the person in orange and then started kicking to the surface. He managed to pull his inflatable patch on his flight suit and he held on to his comrade under the arms as they rose to the surface of the sea.

Ben had Charlotte under the arms and could feel her cry as he held her up. He'd never prepared for this. He never imagined that the pact he had made with Graham all those years ago would actually have to be upheld. When his best friend told him he needed to be the one to talk to Charlotte if anything ever happened to him, Ben hadn't expected it to hurt so bad...especially when they didn't know anything about Graham's condition.

"His chopper went down, Charlotte." Ben was finding his own voice amidst the initial panic that had set in. "We don't know what happened or if he was onboard at the time. Right now, they're just trying to find them." Ben could feel Charlotte's body strengthen up.

"What...?" Swallowing a giant lump, Charlotte moved away from Ben. Did that mean Graham was alive? Did that mean Graham was dead? "What does that mean?" There were too many questions. She raised her hands to her forehead to put the pieces together.

Sawyer walked towards her best friend to comfort Charlotte because it meant that Graham and the others were missing. It wasn't good news, but it wasn't the worst news. Even though Ben asked Sawyer not to come, the blonde wasn't about to let Charlotte go through this alone- sit through the night, with a world of questions and anxiety. The agony Charlotte was going through was more than she could handle on her own. Sawyer needed to be there for her. "They're gonna find him, Charlotte." Maybe they wouldn't, but Sawyer had to say something positive.

Rubbing his brow, Ben tried to explain it. "They went down somewhere off the coast of Kure Beach." The crash site was twenty miles south of Tree Hill, but with the bad weather, it would seem more like fifty. Those maddening winds and rapid current had the power to push anything floating on the surface in upwards of forty miles north east. On top of that, the Coast Guard was working short handed when it came to equipped aircrafts. "The other chopper is in Myrtle Beach, so they can't get out there to get them right now. Right now..."

"Why not!" Charlotte interrupted Ben as she imagined Graham floating in the middle of the sea. She shook her head. "You can't just _leave_ him out there! Ben..." She turned away from him and tried to keep her tears away. She knew that hypothermia set in when the body temperature dropped to 95 degrees. It wouldn't take long for anyone adrift at sea to fall victim to that, especially through the night.

"They're gonna fly one of the planes to where it happened and drop them supplies. A raft, water..." It was the best the Coast Guard could do at the moment. It was all the resources they had available. Hopefully they'd be able to spot the wreckage in the mess Mother Nature was pouring down. The howling winds would blow the team away from Kure, but hopefully they wouldn't stray too far. "Once the weather eases off and the sun comes up, I'm sure they'll send a boat out there." Ben would be the first to board the boat if that was the case- no ifs, ands, or buts.

Feeling her heart break, Charlotte shook her head. "What if it's _too_ late? Why can't you go _now_?" It was protocol, but Charlotte didn't want to hear it. Her husband was out in the mean waters of the Atlantic and somebody needed to help him. Somebody needed to help _her_. And if nobody was, she could come up with a plan of her own. "My dad's got a boat. You can take that..."

It hurt Sawyer's heart to see Charlotte frantically thinking of things they could do to quicken the rescue. Her eyes went to Ben. Couldn't he say something to ease Charlotte's worry?

"Charlotte..."

"_Don't_...! Stop saying that and looking at me like that, _Ben_." Charlotte looked to the window and started to cry as she pointed to the nasty storm spreading over the thick, black night. "My _husband_ is out there somewhere and you're telling me I just have to _wait?_" Flicking tears away, Charlotte shook her head and held her hands up as if she were trying to push the invisible blanket of grief away from her. It got harder to breathe and her emotions were squeezing the life from her. "I can't..."

"Mama?"

All three adults looked up to the top of the stairs and saw a tiny four year old standing in purple pajamas. The ruckus downstairs must have woken her.

Sawyer walked towards the steps and smiled at the mad hatter. "Hey, Hattie." Knowing that this was not a conversation that Hattie should hear, Sawyer tried to intervene. "Let's get you back to..."

Charlotte had to find the strength to gather herself. Sawyer could say what she wanted to her oldest, but Hattie needed her mom. Charlotte needed Hattie. She quickly dried her eyes and smiled at the sweet little girl. "Hey, baby."

"Why are you crying?" Hattie made her way down the steps one by one as she clutched onto the railing completely unaware of the dire circumstances her father was in.

Taking a deep breath, Charlotte held her shoulders up. "I had a bad dream." She bit her lip and hoped she didn't burst in to sobs. She needed to be strong.

Sawyer moved over as her best friend walked by her.

"Me too." The little girl was still so painfully oblivious as to what was going on, and Hattie's innocence sent waves of grief towards the adults.

Charlotte had to bite her lip to keep from crying as she lifted Hattie off the fourth step into her arms. "Why don't we go into my room?" Feeling her oldest nod against her shoulder, Charlotte walked to her and Graham's bedroom. She gave Sawyer and Ben a look that read like a full conversation. She needed a few minutes to get Hattie down, but they weren't done discussing this. They weren't done talking about this at all.

Ben offered to carry Hattie the rest of the way to the bedroom, but Charlotte declined. Even though she was carrying a six months big belly, she wasn't letting go of Hattie. Not now. The mere idea of having to let Graham go was hard enough. Hattie was staying safe in her arms.

Lightening lit up the sky as Charlotte left Sawyer and Ben motionless and silent in the living room. Sawyer didn't know what to do. She glanced outside and shook her head. This was bad. This was really bad. While the rain splattered against the house, Sawyer felt a tear glide down her cheek. She wasn't a crier, but with the pregnancy and the enormity of the situation, it was too much. Charlotte couldn't lose Graham. She just couldn't. They were meant to be. Sawyer felt helpless.

Slowly stepping towards the distraught woman in front of him, Ben took a deep breath and wrapped his arms around Sawyer holding her close. He could feel her frightful jerk when the lightening cracked above.

Light illuminated the sky for a split second and thunder clapped through the indigo night. The rain pouring from above made it hard to tell where the sea met the surface, but when the two Coasties made it above the water, Billings felt the air encompass his grateful lungs. Feeling the life within him restored, he realized who he'd brought up from the dark abyss. It was Graham. He didn't look good, though.

"Mac! Stay with me! Graham!" Billings was trying his best to stay afloat and determine what Graham's status was. Was he dead? Was he conscious? Was he unconscious? Where did Billings swim? The boat was about twenty yards away, but it was destined for the bottom of the sea, wasn't it? There was an inflatable raft the fishermen were on about forty yards away, but the water was too rough to try and swim. The waves roared over the surface like a stampede in the African wilderness. There was no way he could get there safely. Then Billings saw the light- a flicker from the boat. It was Trevor. He must have pushed the light on his suit. Surely he could help. "Trevor!" Billings swam over to the wounded Windsong and muscled his way over to the boat somehow pulling Graham up with him.

Aboard the vessel, John looked down at the dying man. "Graham, talk to me." Billings wasn't getting an answer so he had to start compressions. While pushing on Graham's chest, he looked over his shoulder and briefly glanced at the other rescue swimmer, "Trevor, Mac's in bad shape. I need extra hands." Breathing into Graham's mouth, Billings tried to resuscitate Charlotte's husband, but tasted blood. Every second it looked like Graham's complexion was turning whiter and whiter. "Shit. Come on, Graham! Breathe, God-dammit!" John beat on Graham's chest and tried one more time. "Don't you die! Not on my watch. Graham...!" Billings pressed even harder on his friend's chest and shook his head. "Come on!" He blew into Graham's mouth and pushed his chest hoping for something- anything.

Then it did. Graham took a sharp first breath, and opened his bleary eyes. The darkness was spotted with little white specs and Graham felt the rain splash off his face as he came to. The salt water stung his throat as he started to cough, but it wasn't nearly as bad ad the pain coming from his chest and shoulder. The muffled words of co-pilot Billings rang through his ears, but Graham wasn't coherent enough to make anything out. It was white noise in complete blackness.

Hoovering over the young Lieutenant Commander, Billings heard the gurgle of water as Graham started to breath on is own. "Trevor... help me move him." John checked Graham's pulse and listened to the sharp breaths while motioning for their buddy to come help. "He probably broke some ribs. Let's get him settled..." The eery quiet that came from Trevor caused Billings to turn his attention to the muted Coastie. "Trevor...?"

Slumped against the side of the boat, the fallen Coastie was shaking and and in a state of silent shock. John left Graham's side, rushed over to his other friend, and immediately saw the cause for concern. Trevor's face was ghostly white and his eyes were glossy and red. "It...It got me.." The breathy whisper was hardly heard over the rain.

What got him? What was he talking about? Billings looked down to Trevor's stomach and saw him clutching his right side. Instantly John knew Trevor was in bad shape. His suit had been torn open and there was blood everywhere. It must have been the basket- that must had been what got him. When the chopper went down it must have slung the basket off the boat, hitting Trevor on its way, tearing across his suit and ripping open his side. The cut was enormous and from the looks of it, Trevor was losing blood by the second. "Hold on, Trev. I've got you." Billings glanced over to Graham and could see him start to squirm on the boat deck. "Mac, stay put. You're hurt." He couldn't take care of both men at the same time. John needed Graham to stay put.

Groaning, Graham moved on his side and blew the water on the boat deck away from his face. He took rapid, deep breaths and tried to settle his heartbeat. His lungs were on fire and his left shoulder was tingling. He was fighting shock, as well. Graham's eyes were adjusting to everything and his hearing was coming and going like the waves of the sea. The crash had taken its toll. He tried to get up but stumbled.

"Dammit, Mac..." Billings held pressure against Trevor's wound and shook his head at Graham. "Don't be a hero." John heard Trevor cough and felt the blood against his hands run faster out of the Coastie's body. This was bad, and John could only work on one guy at a time. Billings couldn't afford for Graham to fall overboard. Looking down at Trevor's trembling body, Billing's knew _Trevor_ couldn't afford for Graham to fall overboard. If he moved, it was likely that Trevor might bleed out. "Lay back down, Mac. I'll be with you in a second. You're okay." None of them were okay, but at the moment it was all Billings could say.

Graham looked over to his two friends and slowly sat down. He knew he wasn't in any shape to try and help. Not yet. He needed to get his bearings before he tried to do anything. With this weather and his injuries, every little movement could be hazardous. Graham took a few deep breaths and glanced up to the rainy sky. It was painted in darkness but he could see the moon. To Graham it looked bigger than it ever had. Its yellow haze was brightening the black and sending a peaceful calm his way. He felt tired and cold, and that big ball of light started to fade as his eyes stammered shut.

Fighting sleep, Hattie leaned back in her parent's bed and felt her mom lay next to her. Instinctively reaching out for Charlotte, the little girl snuggled as close to her mom as she could. "Mama?", Hattie brushed her brown hair away from her face.

"Hmm?" Charlotte leaned close to her daughter and nuzzled her nose into Hattie's hair.

"Tell me a story."

Somehow Charlotte knew that was coming, and immediately the young mom started to picture her handsome husband telling their children stories about the ocean. But a glimpse out of the corner of her eye, and Charlotte's mind wandered from the ocean to the glowing sphere in the sky. Clearing her throat and closing her eyes as tears fell to the pillow, Charlotte sighed. "How about the man in the moon one?"

Hattie nodded and let her mother begin to tell the story.

"Way up in the sky there's a sailor who works on the moon. Did you know that?" Graham always asked the rhetorical question and Charlotte couldn't help but do the same. "There's an old story that sailors who die at sea work up there and control the stars to help the lost sailors find their way home. There's one man who started it all."

"He's like the captain of the moon." Hattie yawned and rubbed her eyes with her hands.

"Yep. But he isn't like the rest of them. He's special. Before he got to the moon, he was sailing around the world- in a race against the best sailors from all over. He was doing great. After the first three days he was ahead of the pack. His boat was great, the wind, the water- everything was exactly how it needed to be. But then at the end of the first week the man saw purple clouds on the horizon. A storm was in his way." Charlotte paused to catch her breath and hoped she was telling it as well as Graham did. She knew she wasn't but tried anyway. "But the man went on. He sailed right into the heart of a lion. The rain nearly flooded his boat, and each time a wave slammed up against the sides, the wood cracked. But he persisted and kept going. He was determined to win. Then all of a sudden a wave, bigger than any he'd ever seen, swept over the boat. The next thing the man knew he'd woke up on a rocky shore, but it wasn't a normal beach. He stumbled to his feet and looked around to see a sight he'd never seen. The sand ran through his hands like dust and when he looked to the sky he saw that he was closer to the stars than he'd ever been before. He was on the moon."

Hattie rolled over to the window and pointed. "I bet he's up there now."

Charlotte nodded and took a deep breath. "There were a few things from the boat that came with him to the moon and he used his periscope to look down to Earth. Even from way up on the moon he could see the other ships that were still racing around the world, and they were all headed straight into the storm. He had to find a way to warn them. He couldn't sit back and watch them all sail into the darkness, so he grabbed some rope and ran up to the highest hill. He tied a few knots and tried to lasso the nearest star. If he could pull it closer to Earth, maybe it could light up the sky and help the sailors on the ocean."

Throwing her arms out like she was lassoing an imaginary star, Hattie pulled the covers up to her chin.

"So he tried and tried to pull a star closer. He kept missing but on his last try he hung one. He wasn't sure if he was going to be strong enough to drag it, but he was. He slowly walked down the hill and saw the light from the star brighten over the ocean."

"And that's why there are shooting stars, right? The man is pulling them to help the people at sea."

"Right." Charlotte nodded and pulled Hattie closer to her. She took a few deep breaths and closed her eyes wondering if she could dream this night away. "All because of the man in the moon."

"Hey, Mama?"

"Yeah, baby?"

"What's the man in the Moon's name?"

"I don't know. I don't think Daddy ever said." Charlotte thought about it but couldn't remember a specific name with the story. "You can pick one, I guess."

Scrunching her little brow, Hattie came up with a name she liked. It was one she heard on Nick Jr. often. "Little Bear."

Feeling her heart warm at Hattie's choice, Charlotte smiled. "Little Bear? That's not a real name." Teasing, Charlotte nudged closer into her oldest.

Hattie had only said Little Bear because it was the first thing that came to mind. Now after thinking about it, she had a better choice. "I change my mind." Hattie glanced up to the glowing sphere and could have sworn she saw an old man wave. "I pick Matthew."

The happiness that had fallen on Charlotte disappeared just as quickly as her smile did. Matthew? Had Hattie really said that- chosen that name? Yes, and when the little girl said it again, the breath from Charlotte's lungs escaped. She tried to hold back tears. Of all the names in the world Hattie picked that one- a tragic coincidence it seemed. Graham's first name was Matthew. Hattie probably didn't have her father in mind or pick it on purpose, but Charlotte wasn't ready to send Graham, her Matthew, to the moon. Not now. Not yet. They were supposed to grow old together. They were suppose to raise their children together. Feeling the baby kick, Charlotte closed her eyes and swallowed hard. Their new little girl was supposed to know her father. He couldn't do that if he was headed to the moon.

Charlotte listened to her little girl's deep, soft breaths, and blinked away tears as Hattie drifted into dreamland. If only this was a dream. If only Charlotte could wake up and have everything back to normal. Silent lightening lit up the sky and Graham's wife closed her eyes. She wanted to make this disaster go away. She wished it away, but instead, her drained emotions led her astray. Charlotte fell asleep dreaming of the worst.

**OTHOTH**

The next time Graham opened his eyes, the horizon was painted with soft golden hues. Hours had passed and the dark colors of night were quickly disappearing as the sun rose towards the sky. A lingering misty rain hung over the survivors, but the ocean was calm. The slight breeze that still hung in the air stained Graham's lips with a salty kiss. As he started to come to, Graham could hear the chatter from the guys around him- their voices the reassurance that he wasn't dead.

Carter, the rescue swimmer who had helped Billings pull Graham and Trevor to the Windsong's safety raft had been blankly staring at the whispering waves of the sea when he heard Graham start to move. The rubbery raft wasn't meant for nine people, so Carter eased Graham into the sitting position. Any quick movements could swamp the raft and put them all into a second disaster. "How are you feeling?"

Closing his eyes, Graham shook his head. He felt like hell. He felt like he'd just been run over by a truck. His shoulder ached. The ligaments running down his arm and into his hands felt out of place and his fingers were numb. It was as if cement had been poured into his lungs and each breath felt hard and heavy. There was a constant stinging in his throat. Graham's throat felt like it was playing home to bubbling acid on the verge of erruption. "Like hell." He rubbed his tender shoulder and looked around to the others. He spotted four of his guys and the fishermen, but someone was missing. "Where's Langston?"

Not wanting to immediately get into it, Carter reached out to Graham's shoulder. "John and I popped it back in when we got you on the raft." Looking over to the rescued fishermen, Carter nodded, "We managed to paddle with our hands to get to y'all before the boat went down." The Windsong crew, a bit shaken and cold, were in relatively good condition. The one who had burns was the worst off but compared to Graham and Trevor, he was doing just fine.

Grimacing while holding his tender shoulder, Graham looked around the empty sea and realized the sinking ship the'd been sent to help had gone down during the night. He still wanted to know where his pilot was though. "Where's Langston."

"Gone." A muffled voice came from Graham's right. Trevor was lying flat on his back and had strips of Billings safety suit tied around his waist. The torn pieces of neoprene were holding Trevor's ripped stomach together, and he was clinging onto life. It was a miracle he'd survived as long as he had.

John tried to quiet Trevor because each and every move opened up his wound even more. "Shh..." Billings put his hand on the severely injured Coastie and looked to Graham. "How are you doing?"

Only answering with a nod of his head, Graham tried not to think about the grim reality they were dealing with. Not only had they endured a failed rescue mission, Trevor was barely hanging on, the chopper crashed, and Langston was missing- presumably dead. All of the fishermen made it safely to the raft, but the Coast Guard lost one of their own. Graham lost a friend. He looked away from his friends and out across the water, quietly cussing at the sea. "Dammit."

"They should be coming for us." Billings coughed away any emotion that was building in his chest and he tried to stay strong for his team. "Protocol. They'll drop a raft with supplies. Water, maybe food, enough for us to get by until a boat gets here." He looked to the sky hoping a plane would magically appear.

The captain of the Windsong looked to his guys and then the Coasties. "How far do you think we've drifted?" Would the others be able to find them?

Carter looked across the blue-green water and shook his head. There was no way to tell. He paused for a moment and sighed heavily, "They'll find us." He had to keep his hopes alive. They all did.

Miles away but under the same sun, two uniformed officers got out of a white SUV and headed for the front door of the McFarland home. It was just past six thirty in the morning but seeing all of the vehicles that had gathered around the house, the two members of the United States Coast Guard knew that the news must have already arrived.

Nathan saw them first. He could see the haunting uniforms approaching his daughter's door and he looked to his youngest with a fallen face. "Charlotte...they're here."

Hearing her father's voice, Charlotte looked to Nathan and slowly stood up. Holding her mom's hand for comfort, the young Coastie wife walked towards the door passing Sawyer and Ben on her way.

Haley felt Charlotte pull her out of her seat, and when she passed her husband on the way to the door, Haley tried to gather herself. This could be it. This might be the knock on the door that let them all know if Graham was alive or dead. Hopefully it would be good news instead of bad, but they had to brace for the worst if it was headed their way.

Sawyer and Ben were still at Charlotte and Graham's, and the Tennessee born Coastie looked out the window to see if he recognized the men in uniform.

"Do you know them?" Sawyer yawned as she asked Ben, but he only shook his head. They were strangers and that was the worrisome part.

The knock on the door sent shivers down everyone's spines. As hollow as the inside of Charlotte's breaking heart, the thud against the wood sounded somber and slow. Taking a deep breath, Charlotte opened the door to see to unfamiliar faces. Both of them took their hats off as they faced the young woman.

The older of the two Coasties looked to the pregnant woman and felt his heart ache for her. "Mrs. McFarland?"

Only mustering up enough courage to nod, Charlotte waited to hear the report. She held tightly onto her mother's hand as they began to speak.

"Your husband's helicopter went down during a mission last night and we've been unable to locate the team. A plane just took off en route to their last known location and we're currently looking for survivors."

The younger man nodded, "We're treating this as a search and rescue, and as soon as we have any information we'll relay it back to you by phone or person."

Staring out into the yard while the men spoke, Charlotte took a deep breath. "If you come back... If someone comes back to the house...it means he's dead, doesn't it?" Charlotte's face was deadpanned and her emotion was blank. They didn't answer her right away so she urged them to respond, "_Doesn't_ it?" The last ten hours of her life she'd been fighting with the news of Graham's accident and she was tired of jumping around the subject. He could be dead.

"Honey..." Haley tried to soothe her daughter but she knew Charlotte wanted answers.

The younger man looked to his superior. How did he answer that? Was he supposed to answer that? "Different scenarios call for different responses."

"We'll be sure to contact you and your family as soon as we have word on your husband's condition."

It was hitting her at full speed. Charlotte felt her tears sting the back of her throat and she tried to breathe. It had been one thing to hear it from Ben, but now as she faced two officials in the face, it was becoming more and more apparent that Graham might not be okay. She closed her eyes and turned away. She couldn't do this. She wasn't ready for it. She thought she was ready for the cold, hard truth but she wasn't. The men didn't even have bad news, but it was still all so hard to swallow.

Haley felt Charlotte slip away from her side and both men nodded at the older brown-eyed woman.

"Our thoughts are with your family. Our grief counseling office is open if you need it. A chaplain is on hand as well." The older Coastie gave Mrs. Scott a business card and put his hat back on. "Take care."

Haley took the card from the younger man and watched them walk away.

Charlotte's footsteps upstairs were soft and she slipped away from the madness downstairs. Her husband had been missing for ten hours and every passing minute upped the probability that Graham would never come home. That on top of the insincere message from the Coast Guard put Charlotte on edge more than ever. She needed something to distract her temporarily, and that sweet distraction was in the first bedroom on the left.

Peeking into the room of her two year old son, Charlotte saw Scott's silhouette through the darkness. She approached his toddler bed and nearly stepped on a toy as she walked closer. She bent down to pick it up and clutched the little plane in her hand as she sat down. Charlotte was surprised to see him awake and staring at the ceiling. His eyes were fixated on the glow in the dark stars adhered to the ceiling.

"Hi, baby." Charlotte smiled down at her green-eyed boy and pushed her fingers through his hair. Hopefully he hadn't been awake all alone in his room for too long. Now more than ever, Charlotte felt alone, and she never wanted her children to feel like that.

Yawning, Scott squirmed over to his side and smiled at his mom and then saw what she had in her hand. "My paine." He reached out for his toy and started flying it through the air. "Pzzz..."

"Base, this is HC-96 Ocean Sentry. We're coming up to the last known coordinates of the chopper before it went down." The pilot of the airplane sent to find the lost team radioed the base as he flew over the Atlantic. They'd been flying for about twenty minutes and were closing in on the accident site.

"Be advised, Sentry, winds last night were in upwards of forty miles an hour pushing north, north east."

"Roger that. When we come across debris, we'll tag the location." Looking back to his own team who were ready to deploy the supplies to survivors should they find any, the pilot nodded, "Eyes open boys, lets find these guys."

Floating miles away northeast, Graham saw Trevor shut his eyes. Lieutenant Commander McFarland gently nudged him, "Open your eyes, man. Hold on just a little bit longer, Trev. They're coming for us."

Trevor was ready to give up, ready to give in. He was in so much pain and he knew it could be hours before anybody got to them. He could feel the ripped seams of his wound expand every so often, and he knew it was going to be a long shot to survive.

The captain of the Windsong hated to see the young man suffer, so he tried to do his part in keeping Trevor alert by asking him questions. He cleared his throat and nodded, "Handsome guy like you. I bet you have someone waiting on you at home."

Thinking of his wife, Trevor nodded but Graham did the talking for him. "Emily. Beautiful girl, who is probably outta his league." Graham smiled down at Trevor hoping to cut the stress with a smile.

Softly laughing, Trevor nodded, "She...she's gonna be so mad at...at me." His stuttered breath came out choppy.

"Nah..." Graham didn't want to think about the worst so he shook his head and smiled, "She's only gonna be mad when you're back home, laid up in bed taking up her space on the DVR." Graham wanted to keep thinking positively. Trevor was gonna be okay.

Trying to keep the conversation up, the captain looked to Trevor again. "What about kids? You two have any young ones running around yet?"

"No...not, not yet." Trevor swallowed his emotions and thought long and hard about the probability that he might not make it back home to start that family with his wife they were planning on.

"But he's my youngest's god-father." Graham could see Trevor was losing interest. "Isn't that right?" Nodding at his injured friend, Graham drew a deep, sharp breath that stung his lungs. "Scott thinks you're cooler than me and I'm his own dad."

Trying not to laugh, Trevor shook his head. "I...I doubt it."

"So you have kids?"

Smiling just thinking about them, the thirty-four year old grinned, "Yeah." Graham shifted positions on the raft and took a deep breath. "Two...soon to be three. A girl and a boy with another girl on the way."

"I've got three kids, too." One of the fishermen who'd been aboard the Windsong nodded. "All girls..." The man grinned and shook his head as he scratched it. "And boy do they wear me out."

Billings nodded as he got into the conversation, "I have two girls. Both of them are teenagers." His eyes went wide and he shook his head. "They speak in a different language. Boys, clothes, nail polish... Half the time I just nod and act like I know what I'm doing."

The men who weren't dozing off in the mid morning sun laughed and then they all got quiet. In the distance they heard the faint buzz of propellers.

Carter quickly sat up and looked around. "Y'all here that?"

"Sounds like a plane."

"It's them." One of the fishermen pointed to a tiny spec and waved his his hands in the air. "Help. Over here!"

"Help!"

Billings felt the little raft they were on start to wobble on the water as everyones excitement grew. "Easy, guys. We don't want to flip this thing."

Graham spotted the plane and couldn't help but chime in with the others. "This way! Over here!" He could only wave with one of his hands since his other shoulder was messed up, but he threw it into the air with no qualms. "Help!"

Everyone waved their arms and started whistling as the aircraft drew closer.

"Base, this Ocean Sentry and we have a visual on the survivors. We're dropping supplies and sending you our coordinates now."

The beep of a fax machine echoed through the Coast Guard base and a round of applause broke out as the good news echoed around the room. It would only be another hour to two before the Diligence reached the stranded men.

Just as the people at the base cheered, the men on the raft erupted into cheers as they saw the parachute of supplies land in the water. They'd been spotted. They were gonna be okay. Help was on its way.

Being in the best physical shape of all of the Coastie's, Carter pointed, "It wont take me but five minutes to get it and bring it back." He looked to the guys around him and nodded. "I'll be right back."

"Let me help. You might need an extra pair of hands. I'm a good swimmer." One of the younger fishermen offered assistance and Carter accepted.

The two men jumped into the sea and the others started cheering again. Caught up in the emotion, Graham had been so loud and excited that he momentarily started to choke on his own spit. He started to cough his way out of it, though. At first it was a simple clearing of his throat, but then that burning in his throat heightened. He covered his mouth to stifle the noise but when he moved his hand away, Graham saw blood splotched in the middle of his palm. He was bleeding from within.

It wouldn't matter that they'd been spotted. It wouldn't matter that they'd have a few bottles of water and a bigger raft. Graham was running out of time. His lungs were near collapse, blood was filling his chest, and if he didn't get medical help sometime soon he wouldn't make it to land alive.

**OTHOTH**

Sawyer was on phone duty. Ever since word of the accident spread, Charlotte and Graham's home phone had been ringing off the hook. You would have thought that people would realize Charlotte would be in no mood to talk. Apparently the residents of Tree Hill didn't know that and kept calling the house for updates. Pregnant, tired, hungry, and generally in a bad mood, Sawyer treated most of the callers with a less than pleasant attitude. Unless it was a family, everyone got the same snarky tone and general update followed with a please don't call here again speech.

After hanging up with a reporter from Star News, Sawyer all but wanted to chunk the phone across the room. Did people have any decency anymore? The phone started to ring again, and the thirty-two year old blonde raised the phone to her ear, "What!"

Ben laughed at Sawyer's happy demeanor but he had good news. "Tell Charlotte to get to the hospital. We found them." Ben was aboard the Diligence and could see the drifting rafts the stranded men were using about fifty yards away. As soon as he'd heard they were closing in on the guys, he had to call to spread the good news.

It took Sawyer a full, silent thirty seconds before she could find the words to speak. "Wha...is he okay?" Obviously Graham wouldn't be perfectly healthy, at best he might be a little dehydrated, but there were far worse things they could be dealing with.

"I don't know. The hospital's medevac helicopter is following us and is gonna pick up the seriously injured. But tell Charlotte. Tell her we got him...or are about to. We won't know about his condition until we get them aboard, but I can see them, Sawyer." Ben wasn't sure if Graham was even on the raft, but Ben had a good feeling that he was.

"Trammell...head to the deck. We're gonna need all the help we can get."

Ben heard his commanding officer ordering his position and he had to hang up. "I'll see you later. I love you."

Sawyer heard the dial tone before she could say it back to him and then let it sink in for a second. Snapping out of her shock, Sawyer quickly got out of her chair, "Charlotte...!" Her best friend was sitting on the back porch with her parents and in-laws, and Sawyer nearly walked through the screen door to relay the good news. "Charlotte... Ben just called. They...they found them."

Feeling her heart burst, Charlotte felt the world stop. "What?"

Smiling as wide as she ever had, Sawyer nodded, "They're gonna take them all to the hospital, so Ben said you should go there."

"Thank God." Anne got up off the porch swing and looked to her husband and daughter-in-law.

"I'll drive." Nathan reached into his pockets and pulled out his keys.

Charlotte still felt like the world was in slow motion. Her feet couldn't move fast enough. She knew she needed to get to the hospital. "Did...did Ben say how Graham was? Is he okay?"

Sawyer shook her head, "They don't know yet."

That wasn't the best news, but hopefully he'd be alright. Their joyful reactions might be a bit premature, but at this point, they were all hoping for the best. Graham was gonna be on that raft, and he was gonna be okay.

Charlotte and the four older adults all hurried through the house and out the door. Sawyer could hold down the fort for a little while. She'd want to get to the hospital soon, but she could wait. Jamie and Liza had Hattie and Scott, and Sawyer was sure she could get Keith to house sit later. Right now, the important part was getting Charlotte to the hospital so she could see her husband.

Just as Charlotte buckled her seat belt into its place, Carter hooked the raft to the USCG Diligence.

"He we go boys..." A man standing on the deck of the huge cutter, tossed down a harness and rope. "We'll pull you up."

Graham was hurting too much to really appreciate the Diligence being there. He was in bad shape. Even though the boat was there, he was in too much pain to get up. His chest felt as though it might explode and he didn't want to chance it by moving into the harness. Graham pointed to the fishermen. They should go up first. He started to cough and as much as he wanted to think the blood on his hands was diminishing, it wasn't.

"Alright...you first." Billings pointed to the fishermen with the burns and slipped the rope around his waist. He tugged on the rope and looked up, "Pull him up." It was twenty-two feet to the deck of the boat, but once they got in a rhythm it wouldn't take long for them all to get safely aboard.

Ben was on the other side of the boat, pulling the rigging system that was bringing the fishermen and Coasties aboard the cutter, but he could barely see what was going on- much less who was coming up. He could hear voices and tried to see if he could hear Graham's, but the chaos surrounding the situation made it almost impossible.

Carter was steadying the raft against the Coast Guard cutter while Billings directed the fishermen one by one into the harness. It didn't take long for the Windsong's captain and crew to find safety on the Diligence, and then it was down to the Coasties. Trevor seemed to be in the worst condition and Billings looked from his injured friend to the rope. Trevor wasn't going to be able to make the trip up by himself. "Carter, you think you can hold him if I put the harness around you?"

It wasn't going to be easy, but there wasn't a better way to do it. "Yeah."

John and Carter gently walked over to Trevor and tried to figure out how to go about it. They had to be extra careful. With Trevor's torn open stomach, they had to be extremely gentle. Looking to Graham, Billings nodded, "You doing okay, Mac?"

Hiding his bloody hand against his side, Graham nodded, "I'll be fine. Let's get Trevor up." Graham rose to his feet, stumbling into place, but took a deep breath before trying to help the guys get Trevor.

Carter had the rope around him snug and secure, and he nodded at his two comrades.

"On three." Billings nodded at Graham and bent down to pick up Trevor. "One, two...Three!" The two men heaved Trevor up into Carter's arms and watched as they started to ascend towards the boat deck.

As soon as Graham let go of Trevor he felt something in his chest pop. It could have been a rib. It could have been a lung. Either way, it caused Graham to fall to his knees clutching his chest. Lifting Trevor had put too much strain on his body.

"Alright, you're next, Mac." Billings turned to Graham and saw the rescue swimmer on the floor of the raft. "Graham!" John knelt down and saw the smear of red trailing out of Graham's mouth. He quickly checked for a pulse but couldn't find one. "Graham, God dammit! Not now!" Looking up, John motioned for the rope. "Send it down. Send it back down!"

Ben could hear someone yell out in pain and then another voice screaming out orders. Something was going on. Something bad.

"Come on, Mac..." Holding Charlotte's husband in his arms, Billings secured the rope around him and felt his feet lift off the raft as they were pulled up to the boat deck. "Help him. Somebody help him!" Billings saw a pack of people waiting for him when they reached the top and he looked to the unconscious guy in his grasp.

With everyone on the top of the deck, Ben pushed through the crowd of people to see if he could spot his best friend. The first one he saw was Trevor. They'd put him on a stretcher and Ben could see a gash going across Trevor's stomach. It looked dangerously deep, but Trevor seemed semi-coherent. "Carter, where's Graham?"

One of the older men who was working with the rescue crew on the Diligence held a radio up to his mouth and motioned for the medevac helicopter to come in. "We've got two in critical condition. We'll move all these people so you can pick them up."

The man moved past Ben and then the blue-eyed Coastie saw his best friend lying lifeless against the boat deck. "Graham!" He hurried over to his friend's side but Billings pushed him away. "Not now, Ben. We have to move!" He pointed up to the sky and steered Ben towards the cabin door. "We can't do anything, we just have to wait!" The blades of the chopper muffled everyone's voices as it neared the boat and Billings had to yell. "We just have to wait."

Waiting was the worst part. Charlotte and her family had been in the hospital for two hours and they hadn't heard a single word about Graham or anyone else. Charlotte was sitting in the bleak hospital hopping for the best but expecting the worst.

The front doors of the hospital opened and Charlotte saw a familiar face. "Tricia..."

"Charlotte..." Walking over to the other Coastie wife, Tricia Langston looked hopeful. "Have you heard anything?"

"No, nothing." The young woman shook her head. "Have you?"

"No."

"Emily is on her way. I think John's wife is here...I don't know. It's a mess. Carter's family lives in Idaho, and I don't even know if they've been contacted." Charlotte started talking so fast and rambling, she wasn't even sure she was making sense.

"I'm sure they have." Tricia folded her arms across her chest and looked down the never ending hallways of the hospital. "Beth is probably in the chapel. Maybe I'll go check." Mrs. Langston had a good idea that's where John Billings' wife would be, and she wanted to see if she'd heard anything. "I'll be back."

"Okay." Charlotte nodded and continued to wait on news, on an update, on anything.

Fifteen minutes later that first bit of information came. Two uniformed officers walked down the hallway of the hospital towards Charlotte, and the clap of their shoes against the hard floor made her shiver with each step. She recognized them both and took a deep breath. She didn't want to stand for fear of falling down, so she waited for them to come to her.

"Charlotte..." One of the men took off his hat and looked around. "Have you seen Captain Langston's wife, Tricia, here?"

Swallowing a lump that all but blocked her airway, Charlotte couldn't decide if she was happy or sad that they were asking for Tricia. Did they have good news? Bad news? "I...I think she's still in the chapel with Beth Billings."

"Thank you." The uniformed Coastie nodded appreciatively.

Just like that, the two men turned towards the chapel and walked down the hall. Their steps echoing off the walls and straight into Charlotte's ears.

Nathan was on his way back from the vending machine and sat down next to his youngest. "Any news?" He looked towards the uniformed officers wondering if there had been an update. He held out peanut butter crackers and arched his brow offering her the pack.

Starving, Charlotte took one of the crackers and shook her head. "No. They were looking for Tricia." Quietly chewing on the cracker, Charlotte watched the officers stand by the door of the chapel and bring Mrs. Langston into the hall. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but their body language said it all. When one of the men reached out to console Mrs. Langston, she slapped them away and turned away in tears. Instantly Charlotte's stomach fell to the floor and she covered her mouth. He was dead wasn't he. Tricia's husband was dead.

Suddenly feeling like she was going to throw-up, Charlotte got up and hurried into the bathroom. "No, no, no..." Crying and with nerves bundling in the pit of her stomach, Graham's wife could only assume she was going to have a similar encounter at some point. The odds of Graham surviving were slim to none. The brown-eyed mom put her hands on her stomach and started to pace around the small little bathroom. Everything hurt. Her heart, her head, her stomach...everything.

Nathan and everyone else seated in the waiting room had been watching the same scene unfold, and couldn't pull their attention away. The truth and reality of what was going on was starting to hit home. One person was dead and there could be more.

Dazed and coming in and out of consciousness, Graham felt someone stick his chest with something while the helicopter swayed to it's side as it turned toward the hospital.

"Gr...Graham." Trevor's lips were shaking but he looked to be stable. "They're getting us out of here, man. We're...We're gonna make it."

One of the medical personnel who was working on Trevor was holding his hands against the wound hoping for a smooth ride to the hospital. "How's it going over there?" The paramedic, looked over to his colleague and Graham.

"It's a collapsed lung. Maybe both of them. The left side isn't draining and he's losing oxygen as it fills up." The young guy stuck Graham with a needle again, "His body is trying to compensate, but he keeps falling in and out of consciousness."

"Ten minutes, guys. Can you keep them stabilized for that long?" The medevac helicopter pilot looked back to his crew.

Looking at his patient, the young paramedic winced, "Can you make it eight. This guy might not..."

The sudden and horrifying sound of a flat heartbeat sounded through the compartment. It happened in an instant; a split second and everything changed.

Charlotte felt a wave of pain rush through her abdomen and she held onto her stomach. It couldn't be happening again. She couldn't miscarry again. This was not the time nor place. But then it hit her again. She bent over in pain and reached out for the sink to steady herself. Her hand slipped against the porcelain and Charlotte's world started to haze over with a white glow as she fell to the floor.

It was over.

It was all over.

**OTHOTH **

**Ah! What's happening! Next chapter, we'll find out Charlotte and Graham's fate. Is Graham dead? What's wrong with Charlotte. Will she lose the baby? All of those questions and more will be answered. There will be funerals and grieving, getting through it all and coping. It's gonna be rough.**

**Reviewers, you know I love you guys. I so appreciate the feedback. You have no idea. Thank you, thank you, thank you.**

**Chrissy: I'm so glad you thought last chapter was well written. From the moment I planned on having an "accident" chapter I knew I wanted to jump between POVs, so I'm glad you liked it. I did the same thing in this one, so hopefully it worked in well in here, too. **

**2old4oth: I guess you might want to preface the next review with the headliner of your last one: please don't kill Graham! Sorry you have to wait even longer to find out his fate, but I'm hoping it will all happen as it should- what's best for the story. Ha, yeah I purposefully tried really hard to keep Charlotte's husband's name out of future chapters in LM for this very reason. What's the fun in reading, when you know what happens. I guess I did a decent job since you still don't know. Ugh, I'm sorry I could have complied with your wish for a quick update. Life and family got in the way. I can't catch a break. But since you had such a nice comment at the end of your first review and took time to do a second review I'm gonna try extra hard to get the next chapter out ASAP. Keep your fingers crossed.**

**JJ: I'm so glad you enjoyed last chapter! I'm also so happy to know that Charlotte and Graham are your favorite couple, and on top of that, your favorite couple ever written. HOLY SMOKES, what a nice thing to say. Next chapter we'll find out if Graham ends up being okay or not.**

**Anon: I'm guessing you thought about hurling your computer at me since it took so long for me to update. Apologies. And extra apologies for leaving you hanging...again.**

**CMF: Wow, I'm so thrilled to know you read my other stories! That means the world that you let me know! Sorry I drove you nuts, (and this chapter also probably drove you nuts), but I think it will work for the story in the end. At least I hope so. Happy (late) college graduation, by the way! Congrats!**

**J: Thanks for the feedback! I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Tp404: Ugh, I know...I did SUCH a bad job at guesstimating when this chapter would be updating. I'm SO sorry for leading you on like that. I really thought I would be able to write when in reality, I just didn't have the time. It was probably as frustrating for me as it was you. Maybe this update made up for it?**

**Review Please!**


	31. Never Let Me Go

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 31: Never Let Me Go**

**Disclaimer: One of these days I should come up with something really funny and clever to put here. Today is not that day.**

**A/N: Hey all. Sorry it's taken so long but great news, I landed my first teaching job and had a fantastic first week. Now I'm in week two and still having a blast! Woo-hoo! I could go on and on about it, but I'll stop here. Y'all want to get to the story, right? The good stuff? Yeah, that's what I thought. This one will open up and we'll see what's going on with Charlotte (she collapsed in the bathroom, remember) and then we will find out what happens with Graham. So are you ready? Here it comes...**

**OTHOTH**

The cold, hard floor was the first thing Charlotte recognized as she started to come to. Her closed eyes opened and she saw feet and legs of those standing around her. Then as her vision adjusted, her hearing came back. It was as if all at once she could hear a myriad of voices asking her questions. Unable to fully register what was going on or even answer questions, Charlotte felt a warm hand on her arm. She didn't need to hear the voice or see the face to recognize to whom it belonged. Automatically Charlotte knew it was her mother.

"Honey...can you hear me?" Haley was on her knees leaning over her youngest with concern furrowing her brow. Amidst the chaos outside the hospital bathroom as they learned of Captain Langston's death, Haley had been the one to notice Charlotte had taken a significant amount of time in the restroom. Following her instinct and gut reaction, Haley had walked into the bathroom to find her daughter laid out on the bathroom floor.

As terrifying as that may seem, Haley kept her self rather calm and collected. She'd rushed over to her youngest to assess the situation and called for Nathan as soon as she could. There were no visible injuries or blood though. Charlotte had simply collapsed. What caused the sudden fall, Haley could only imagine. Charlotte was dealing with a lot on her plate.

Now conscious and awake, Charlotte tried to sit up, but Haley didn't want her to rush anything. What if Charlotte hit her head or had some type of injury?

"Easy..." Haley helped the thirty-year old, soon to be mother of three sit up. "Anne went to get a doctor. Are you okay?"

Besides nursing a sore elbow that must have taken a hit against the floor, Charlotte felt fine. A little dazed and confused, but doing well. "I'm okay." She glanced at her bruising elbow and sighed. Resting her hand over her protruding belly, Charlotte suddenly started to worry about the baby. Hadn't she felt a sharp pain before all this happened? Before she fell, wasn't her stomach hurting? Trying to remember if she'd felt the baby in the last five minutes, Charlotte felt her eyes tear up. "Mom..." She'd miscarried once and she never wanted to go through that again.

Haley shook Charlotte off. "Everything's gonna be okay, Charlotte." Haley looked over her shoulder knowing that a doctor was on his way.

Trying not to get caught up in the what ifs and worst case scenarios, Charlotte shut her eyes and wiped her cheek. Just when she started to gather herself, she suddenly thought about her husband and tears began puddling on her lids once more. It was all too much. "Is...is Graham here?" Charlotte had no idea how long she'd been out. It could have been five minutes or five hours. Figuring it hadn't been that too long, Charlotte couldn't really be certain. For all she knew, Graham was already at the hospital.

Nathan hated this. He hated seeing either of his children in pain- especially Charlotte. She looked so broken. Feeling the need to step in, Nathan reached out for Charlotte to help her to her feet. He held her tightly in that big grasp of his and took a deep breath. "He should be here any minute." They'd gotten word just before everything happened that a helicopter was bringing Graham in.

Leaning into her father's frame, Charlotte took a few deep breaths and then felt her lower abdomen shift. The baby moved.

Smiling against Charlotte's soft brown hair, Nathan smiled. He'd felt the baby against him, too. "Everything's gonna be alright, Char."

Not able to speak as she was so overcome with emotion, Charlotte could only nod against the warmth and comfort of her father's embrace.

Anne walked into the restroom with a white-coated doctor next to her. Seeing that her daughter-in-law was up and alert, Graham's mom put her hand over her chest, "Oh, thank God."

The young male doctor noticed the pregnant woman and walked towards her. He'd heard she'd collapsed and wanted to come assist. He immediately walked over to Charlotte and ran his eyes over her body to check for noticeable injuries. "Everything okay, in here?"

Stepping away from her dad, Charlotte lifted her shoulders with a nod. "I must have passed out." Turning her elbow towards him, she showed off her bruising skin. "I landed on my elbow, and that's really the only pain right now."

"Okay." The doctor's eyes rested on Charlotte's protruding belly. "I'm gonna want to check on the baby. Run some tests, see if we can figure out what happened."

The mere idea of having a test run without Graham by her side was difficult to swallow, but Charlotte knew she'd have to do it. Her voice quieted but she nodded, "Alright."

Haley escorted her daughter with the doctor out of the bathroom while Nathan and Anne went to sit and wait on news about Graham. The exam room Charlotte was led to wasn't far away, and she didn't even have to get in a hospital gown. She pulled herself up onto the chair and leaned back as the doctor went to gather his supplies. With closed eyes, Charlotte swallowed the lump in her throat that had suddenly formed.

Haley could see the fear painted on Charlotte's face and she walked closer to her youngest, taking her hand. She knew the horror that was running through her daughter's head. It seemed like yesterday that the accident after the championship game had happened. Back then Haley had Nathan by her side. And while Graham wasn't by Charlotte's side, Haley's wasn't going anywhere.

It wasn't long before the door swung open and the doctor came back in. "Alright let's see what we've got..."

The sound of the helicopter flooded the air. A young doctor waiting on the patients en route watched the chopper land on the roof and he ran over, "What do we have?" He shielded his body from the whipping wind and helped one of the paramedics climb out.

"One's in V-tac and the other is coherent but has a collapsed lung!" Shouting over the slowing blades, the paramedic grabbed one of the gurneys and was quickly surrounded by more medical staff. "Get the paddles ready!"

A young nurse who's goggles were too big for her face, ran over to the defibrillator that was mounted to the inside walls of the stairs. She quickly opened the device and met the team of doctors racing her way. She placed the pads on his chest as they waited for the elevator.

"He's going to surgery. Call them now. We need Dr. Fulton ready. This guy might not make it."

The young nurse who placed the pads on the injured Coastie threw her hands up, "Charge them!"

Another nurse hit the defibrillator and turned up the dials, "Charging!" Checking the numbers, the man looked to his comrades and nodded, "Clear!"

Trevor's body lifted off the gurney and fell back against board. The blood he'd lost that was puddled against the backboard splattered the doctors and nurses as he landed.

"Somebody hold that wound!" One of the doctors shouted as they pushed the gurney into the elevator. "Charge him again!"

The other team of doctors ran past Trevor's group and pulled Graham's gurney out of the helicopter.

"This one has at least one collapsed lung! The other's about to go, though!"

Nodding, the head of Graham's medical team yelled commands, "We're gonna have to tube him up here! Get me a scalpel, and hold him down!"

Graham's world was fuzzy and a blur. He didn't know which way was up or down. He didn't know where he was. He just knew he hurt. His words had escaped him and he felt too weak to move. Somebody leaned over his face and started talking to him. Nothing made sense; not until he felt a knife in his side. "Ahh!" He jolted to the right and felt arms secure him down.

"We're helping you. Just hold on." One of Graham's nurses put an oxygen mask over his face and tried to calm him down.

The pain was excruciating.

"Tube. I need the tube." The doctor who'd cut a small hold in Graham's side held his hand out for the equipment.

Graham's eyes felt heavy and when he looked up, he saw blue sky. But then that blue sky turned black as his mind rehashed images of the crash. His head started to spin and he felt the wheels of his gurney roll into the elevator.

"Bag." The doctor had placed the tube on Graham's side near his ribs and needed to let the blood drain. His lungs were filling with fluid and blood. They had to clear his chest cavity fast. But before the team could respond, blood started spurting out of the tube onto the floor of the elevator. This guy was worse off than they thought. "Page the OR, he's gonna lose all of his blood! Move him on his side!" The elevator started to descend towards the OR but Graham wasn't doing well. He wasn't doing well at all.

A few floors down, Charlotte was waiting on news; good news she hoped. She had a few quick tests done and the ultrasound didn't reveal anything abnormal. Now they were waiting on the doctor's final say. He'd left the room for a moment after the ultrasound to make sure the test results were complete.

Haley could see the nerves in her daughter's eyes and she tried to comfort her. "They baby looked healthy, honey. I'm sure it's all going to be okay. I'm sure this was all brought on by stress."

It was easy to say, but what if it wasn't? Taking a deep breath, Charlotte nodded and tried to stifle any tears that were on their way. "I know."

The door swung open and the doctor walked over to the women with a smile. "Everything looks fine. Limited pain brought on by stress is common." He held Charlotte's charts close to his chest, knowing she was dealing with a lot. "You and the baby will be fine. Rest as much as you can."

Charlotte's eyes got wide. Rest? How was she supposed to rest? She couldn't sleep, she couldn't eat, she could barely breathe. Swallowing the good news about the baby only filled her mind with the other bad news. Graham. Was he okay? Was he at the hospital yet?

"If you need anything while you're here, you know where I am. My shift ends in a couple hours but Dr. Powell comes on after me. She's great."

"So everything's alright?"

"Yes ma'am." The doctor nodded at Haley. "If for whatever reason the pain or fainting persists then we'll want to look into it more, but right now, Charlotte's clear."

Sighing, Charlotte was momentarily happy. Her scare had been just that; a scare. "Thank you." She started to move out of the chair and got to her feet quickly erasing the good news with worry about her husband.

"You're welcome." The doctor smiled and opened up the door so Haley and Charlotte could leave.

Haley wrapped her arm around her daughter as they walked back towards the waiting room. One hurdle down, another big one to go. They still didn't know about Graham.

The steps towards the waiting room were heavy and slow. Charlotte wasn't so sure she wanted to go back. It would only make her worry and stress her out even more.

Haley slowed her pace and turned to her brown-eyed thirty year old. "We don't have to go back in there." Knowing the waiting room was a cauldron of emotions, Haley stopped short of the entrance. "There's a little courtyard one floor up that's nice." Considering the number of times the Scott family had been to the hospital, Haley knew the ins and outs pretty well.

That sounded perfect. Charlotte could use some fresh air and some time to clear her head while they waited. But quickly that nice idea was trampled. Two uniformed Coasties, the same two that broke the news to Mrs. Langston, were walking down the hall towards the waiting room entrance. Charlotte immediately wanted to hide. She wanted to run. She didn't want to face the bad news she had a feeling they were about to share. She wanted to be elsewhere. She wanted to be home. She wanted the last twenty-four hours erased from her memory.

Calmly walking towards her father, Graham's parents, and the others that were waiting, Charlotte tried to forget about Coasties on their way.

Nathan saw his daughter and immediately stood up.

Charlotte smiled at his worry but shook him off. She shrugged her shoulders, "It was a stress thing."

"So the doctor said you're fine. You and the baby?" Nathan had said those words before in his life, and he couldn't help but say them again.

"Yeah." Charlotte nodded and rested one of her hands on her stomach.

The wrinkles in Graham's mother's face subsided and she sighed. "That's good." She put one of her hand on her husband's leg and took a deep breath.

For a few seconds the family got to revel in the good news, but they were soon filled with concern. Mitchell stiffened up in his chair when he saw the Coasties coming towards them. He wasn't ready to bury his son.

One of the men broke away from the other and walked towards Trevor's wife and family, while the other headed straight for the Scott/McFarland bunch.

Charlotte's mind started to race and she felt her stomach churn with nerves. His last few steps seemed to take a lifetime.

"Mrs. McFarland..."

The young mother's mouth went dry so she could only nod. The world stopped, and Charlotte took a deep breath.

"Your husband is here and is in surgery. There is a waiting room upstairs for families of patients who are in surgery. I can take you there. His doctors will update you on his condition when they can." The man looked to the other members of Graham's family. "You can all come." He pointed down the hall. "Follow me."

It took a second for Charlotte's feet to move, but she was quick to catch up with the Coastie. On her way to the other waiting room, Charlotte passed Trevor's family. They were getting news as well. Charlotte's couldn't help but look that way. Were they getting the same good news, too? Trevor was a good guy- one of Graham's best and oldest friends. A pompous ass at times, but he was a good guy, and his wife Emily was one of the sweetest people Charlotte knew. But in an instant, a single look, and Charlotte knew it hadn't been good news. Her brown eyes connected with Emily's tear-stained hazel eyes and the look on her face said it all. Trevor was dead. Charlotte immediately turned away and tried to keep her head forward. Her chest burned and she quickly covered her mouth with her hand. This was real. It was too real. Tears puddled at the corners of her eyes, and Charlotte tried everything she could to stop from breaking down in the middle of the hallway. She had to push forward.

Langston was dead, Trevor was dead, and Graham was in surgery. But it didn't mean Graham was out of the woods. There were no guarantees in medicine. He could go into surgery, but he might not come out.

**OTHOTH**

Waiting was the worst. Charlotte and the others had been in the surgery waiting area for the last four and half hours. The doctors had come to tell them the extent of Graham's injuries and the list never seemed to end. First they'd been told about Graham's internal bleeding and collapsed lungs. Then came the information about the dislocated shoulder that would likely need rotator cuff surgery. And if that wasn't enough, Graham had shattered his knee cap and was colored with all kinds of cuts and bruises.

The six hour surgery Graham was currently in was supposed to fix the collapsed lungs and punctured organs that had taken hits during the impact of the crash. Doctors reassured the family that Graham was in good hands, but that his injuries were serious. It wouldn't be a quick fix. If everything went well, they'd have to give his body time to heal before they worked on his shoulder or knee. The worst thing they could as doctors could do, was overwhelm his already ailing body with multiple surgeries. Right now they were just focused on helping Graham survive.

Charlotte could use a little help though. She'd been through so much. Exhausted, emotionally drained, and hungry, Charlotte wished she could speed up time. Hadn't she paid her dues already? Couldn't Graham be out of surgery and awake already?

Life didn't work like that. Life had a cruel way of working.

Flipping through the pages of a magazine, Charlotte couldn't concentrate on the words in front of her. They all ran together and didn't make sense. The pictures were clear, but she didn't have the peace of mind to read. The only thing running through her head was her husband. Graham was her everything. He had to be okay. Charlotte shut the pages of the magazine and tossed it on the chair next to her. When she looked up she saw a familiar face. Liza had just walked in. Maybe her-sister-in-law had good news or an update. Liza been running all around the hospital trying to use her nurse and work status to get as much information as she could. Anyone who's anyone knew how hard it was to get information out of doctors if they weren't standing right in front of you.

Smiling her sweet southern smile, Liza walked over to Charlotte and sat down. "So...I just got word that it should only be forty-five minutes or so."

Perking up, Charlotte smiled. "Great. That's great."

Nodding, Liza agreed. "And I talked to Jamie a little while ago. The kids are being good." Holding out her phone, the nurse looked at it. "Want to call them? It might be nice to hear their voices and pass the time."

That wasn't a bad idea. Charlotte nodded. "Actually...yeah." She took Liza's phone and started to get up. That little courtyard her mom had been telling her about was just down the hall. Since she'd left the house in panic this morning Charlotte didn't have her phone, but she was confident she could figure Liza's out. Sawyer was supposed to be bringing Charlotte a fresh change of clothes and her phone, but with Sawyer being Sawyer, there was no telling what time that might happen. Hopefully before Graham got out of surgery. Charlotte didn't want to go see him smelling a little iffy in wrinkly, day-old, clothes.

Opening the door outside, Charlotte dialed her brother's number and waited for him to answer. While the phone rang she stepped to the edge of the courtyard's fifth floor balcony and looked out across her hometown. She could see the river and the sun starting to hide behind the horizon. It was hard to believe she'd spent nearly the whole day at the hospital. In some respect it felt longer, but it others, it felt like seconds.

The other line picked up and Jamie's voice came through. "Hey, any news?"

Charlotte smiled at her brother's concern and knew he must have thought Liza was on the other end. "Jame, it's me."

"Charlotte... Hey." Jamie wasn't expecting his little sister and took a second to collect his thoughts. "How is everything? Is everything okay?"

"So far. He's still in surgery. Liza thinks he'll be done in about forty-five minutes."

"Well that's good news."

"Mmm-hmm." Charlotte thought so too. She just wanted those doctors to come out and tell her Graham had made it through and was waiting for her in recovery. "Are...are Hattie and Scott around?"

"Yeah, you want to talk to them?" He knew she did, so Jamie hollered for his niece and nephew.

Charlotte could hear voices on the other line and eagerly waited to hear her children. There was a little bit of noise coming through, and Charlotte could tell Jamie handed the phone to someone.

"Mama?"

Hattie's sweet voice brought a smile to Charlotte's face. "Hi, baby." Charlotte could feel her voice quiver. She didn't realize talking to the kids would stir up so much emotion. "Are you having fun with Uncle Jamie?"

"Uh-huh. We're having pizza for dinner."

"You are? That sounds yummy."

"Yep. Mines got pepperoni."

"Mmm...well what about Scott? What's he doing?"

Looking over her shoulder, Hattie saw her younger brother playing outside with Bennet. "He's playing with Bennet and the 'mote control cars."

"Yeah?"

Hattie nodded but changed the subject, "Hey, Mama..." The little girl looked at her uncle and then spoke into the phone. "Are you at the hostible?"

Her oldest was a smart girl. She'd probably heard pieces and parts of Jamie's conversations all day and was able to put the pieces together. "Yeah, baby, I am." Charlotte closed her eyes and hated that she was telling Hattie over the phone.

"Daddy's hurt, isn't he?"

Hattie's question broke Charlotte heart. The mother of two cleared away the emotion piling in her throat, "But he'll be okay."

"Did you kiss his boo-boo to make it better?"

Water stung her eyes and the mother of two had to close them. "Not yet." Charlotte voiced cracked as she answered. She turned away from the phone and took a deep breath. She would give anything to kiss Graham. She'd give anything just to see him.

Hattie saw her uncle motion for the phone and she handed it back to him. "Uncle Jamie wants you."

"Okay." Charlotte bit her lip and then quickly tried to say goodbye. "Hattie, I love you..."

"Love you, more." The little girl handed the phone back to her uncle and went over to play with Claire.

Charlotte was really trying her best not to cry. It was wonderful hearing Hattie's voice, but it was painful, too.

"Charlotte?" Jamie put the phone up to his ear.

"Yeah." She answered and then sighed, "Jamie, what am I gonna do? What if something happens to Graham?"

"It's not. You won't have to." Jamie's firm tone told her it wasn't even a possibility. "He's gonna come out of this, Char. It's all gonna be fine."

Laughing, Charlotte wiped her eyes, "Yeah, _fine_..."

"He will." Jamie was persistent. He didn't want Charlotte to think of the bad things might happen. It would only cause her more pain.

Charlotte took a deep breath. She dried her eyes and nodded. "I know. I know. You're right."

There was a silent pause. "Call if there's an update."

"We will." Charlotte knew it might not be her, but someone would call if there was new news. "Hey, and Jame... Thanks for watching the kids."

She didn't need to thank him. Jamie would do anything for his little sister. The duo had an unspoken goodbye and then Charlotte ended the call. Outside and alone, Charlotte glanced out across the horizon once more. It wouldn't be long until dark.

Five minutes passed, maybe even ten when Charlotte heard a voice.

"Hey..." Sawyer walked through the door, held out a bag, and started walking towards her best friend. "I grabbed you some clothes and a burger. I ate your fries, though." Looking down to her own stomach, Sawyer arched her brown with a smile. "_Sorry_."

Feeling herself smile, Charlotte took the bag of clothes and could smell the burger. "Thank you."

Sawyer nodded and pointed to the bag. "And your phone is in there, too."

Watching her friend walk away, Charlotte spoke up. "Hey, Sawyer...?" The blonde turned to face the brunette and the younger of the two nodded, "Tell Ben I'm glad it was him- that it was you two who came over last night. I don't think I could have handled it coming from someone else."

The music lover slowly nodded and walked away with a smile.

Charlotte scarfed down her burger and then knew she wanted to change clothes. She went to the nurses' station and asked if there was a room she could use to change into. Seeing the desperation and exhaustion on the young woman's face, the nurses pointed her to a vacant hospital room and Charlotte closed the door to change. She didn't bother turning on the lights. It was still light enough outside that she didn't need them. There was a small bathroom connected to the room and she walked in to look at herself in the mirror. Her face was pale, and deep, dark circles surrounded her eyes. Her brown hair looked messy and unkept. Clearly she'd had a rough day. Slowly pulling her shirt over her head, Charlotte turned on the sink water and splashed warm water against her tired face. It was nice to feel the warmth on her skin.

Slipping on a new shirt and changing the rest of her clothes, Charlotte spotted a sweatshirt Sawyer had grabbed and she picked it up. As she unfolded it, deodorant fell to the floor and Charlotte laughed. Sawyer was good to remember to get some of that. Charlotte could use a bit of sprucing up. But after she picked up the fallen deodorant, Charlotte's attention was taken back to the sweatshirt. It was Graham's. Oversized and navy blue, _OBX_ was stamped across the front. Tossing it over her shoulders and pushing her arms through the sleeves, Charlotte pulled it over her expanding belly, lifting the collar to her nose. It still smelled like him.

"Please be okay..." Charlotte couldn't help but whisper out-loud. Maybe if she said it, it would come true? So she waited for a minute, hoping by some miracle of a chance that someone would come running into the room with good news. But it never happened. Instead, Charlotte gathered her stuff together and slipped out of the room unnoticed.

Once she made it back to the waiting room, Charlotte sat down next to Graham's father. He was a sweet older man who never said a whole lot. But those small moments when he did speak, Mitchell McFarland could capture the heart and imagination of anyone.

Smiling, Mitchell leaned up in his chair and rubbed his hands together. "You know they say that things like this- when something tragic happens, it's the heart that brings people back."

Charlotte could hear Graham's storytelling in his father's voice. Instantly intrigued and eager to think of anything else, Charlotte turned to her father-in-law to listen.

"You see this scar...?" Mitchel held his left hand out so Charlotte could see it.

Following the lines of old age, Charlotte noticed the thin line that ran across his hand. This story wasn't like the others. This one was true.

"I was twenty-six I think. Twenty-seven, maybe." Mitchell sighed and shook his head. "Lane must have been about four and Graham was a baby. Crawford wasn't even here yet."

Charlotte could see the memories in Mr. McFarlands's green eyes.

"I was driving home from delivering a dinning room set I'd made for a customer, and I ran into a nasty storm." Graham's dad was a carpenter. His handy work was beautiful- the finest of fine wooden furniture. "The backroads of the banks were blown over with sand and you could hardly tell where you were going." Mitchell took a deep breath, "And somewhere by Bodie Island I came up on standing water and hydroplaned into a dune. I went airborne and somehow landed upside down. I woke up in the hospital two days later." His eyes found his wife across the room. "Anne was waiting for me, though, holding my hand, willing it to heal. The doctors were convinced I was gonna lose it, but she never believed them. She never let go." He squeezed his fingers together and opened up his palm. "And you know... I never thought..."

"Mrs. McFarland?"

Charlotte had been so engaged in Mitchell's story that she hadn't noticed the man in the white coat approach her. Looking up, Charlotte saw the doctor and immediately stood up. "Yes?"

"The surgery went perfectly. His lungs are back in working order and he's in recovery."

Smiling the first, true smile she had in a while, Charlotte wrapped her arms around her chest. "So he's okay?"

"He's doing very well. He's still sedated and it could be another few hours before he comes to, but he's strong."

"Can I see him?"

"Of course."

Charlotte didn't even have time to look back at her family, she just wanted to see her husband. One foot in front of the other, and she could hardly contain thoughts. Graham was okay.

The walk from the waiting room to Graham felt like miles. It felt like a marathon. Her legs were tired and her steps were heavy. Charlotte's thoughts were blank, though. Her mind had been swept away with the current of the good news and she was aimlessly following the doctor.

They rounded a corner and when the white-coated man slowed his steps, Charlotte's heartbeat increased.

"Let me warn you. He looks pretty bad. The accident left him with heavy bruising, but just know that in time it will all go away."

Charlotte could only nod, and she heard the click of the door open as the doctor pushed it open.

"I'll leave you with him."

She hadn't even seen Graham, but that steady beep from his monitor's made her tear up. She walked into his room and could smell the betadine. There was a curtain shielding his knees up from the side, and Charlotte slowly walked towards her husband with a heavy heart. No matter what, no matter how he looked or how bad it was, she would always love him.

Taking one more deep breath, Charlotte walked closer. Tracing her eyes from his legs up, Charlotte prepared herself. First she saw his face, pale with cracked lips and little cuts over his forehead. He looked terrible. His eyes were closed and the bedding was pulled up over his chest. There were tubes coming out of his arms, and Charlotte could see the saline bag drip with medicine. With trembling hands, Charlotte walked towards him and held back tears. She wanted so badly to reach out and touch Graham, but she was afraid it might hurt him. Spotting a clear spot on his cheek, Charlotte leaned over her husband and gently kissed him. His skin was surprisingly warm. So when she got heat instead of coolness, Charlotte let out a happy cry. He was gonna be okay.

"Graham..." Charlotte kissed his cheek one more time and hovered over him. "It's me. I'm here." Her throat felt constricted, but she swallowed hard and licked her lips. "Graham...wake up." Her whisper was soft, but it rang true. She just wanted him to wake up.

Charlotte watched carefully for any movement. She desperately wanted to see a response but she didn't get one. And she wouldn't for a while. She still had to wait.

**OTHOTH**

Forty-five minutes later, Anne and Mitchell had come to see their son, and Haley and come to check on Charlotte, but there was still nothing coming from Graham. He was silent and still.

Charlotte was curled up in a chair patiently waiting on something to happen but she was fading fast. The day and the hours she'd been awake were catching up to her. Complete exhaustion was setting in and nearly every time she breathed she yawned.

Visiting hours were up, but Charlotte wasn't budging. She'd put her foot down pretty severely when she told the hospital staff she wasn't leaving. She wasn't going anywhere. She had a scratchy hospital blanket across her body and she really didn't know how much longer she would last. But she had to try.

Then there was a knock on the door.

Figuring it was a nurse, Charlotte watched the shadowy figure walk in and when she saw his tall frame and uniform, she knew it was no nurse. "John?" Charlotte squinted trying to see through the dim light and when he walked closer, she started to move the blanket off of her. The man who saved her husband's life, unbeknownst to Charlotte, walked to the foot of Graham's hospital bed. When he came into the light, Charlotte saw his swollen, black and blue, broken, nose. "I'm so glad you're okay." She hugged the co-pilot of the chopper.

Captain Billings took a deep breath and looked at his fellow Coastie before turning to Charlotte. "They told me he's gonna make it."

Slowly standing up, Charlotte nodded. "We're just waiting." She looked from her husband up to John Billings. "And what about you? Are you okay?"

Physically he was fine. A broken nose was manageable. It was the emotional turmoil he was dealing with that was the worst. "I tried...we tried so hard not to go down. Langston..." John's voice broke. "We...we just couldn't."

Charlotte watched the older man wipe his eyes and shake is head. "Hey..." She didn't want him to re-hash it all, so she tried to hug some comfort back into him. "It's gonna be okay." For the last thirty-hours Charlotte had been the one being consoled, now it was her turn to provide comfort and reassurance. "It's alright."

One day. One day it would be alright. But not now. Not when they'd lost two men and one was still in the hospital. Taking a deep breath, John tried to shake it off. He cleared his throat and nodded. "Just uh...just let us know when he wakes up."

"I will."

John left the little room just as quickly as he'd come in, and Charlotte was alone again. Well, she wasn't really alone; Graham was there. The eery beep from his machines constantly reminded her that he was there. His eyes weren't open and he wasn't conscious, but he was there. Turning her attention to her husband, Charlotte walked close to his bedside. Couldn't he wake up? Couldn't he just open his eyes?

Holding out hope and waiting for a miracle, Charlotte stood next to Graham for a little while. But her knees ached, her feet hurt, and her eyes were starting to sting. It had been a long day.

Tired and ready for bed, Charlotte sat back down in the hospital chair and pulled the blanket over her legs. She stretched out as best as she could, but it wouldn't matter how much she tried; it was going to be nearly impossible to get comfortable. But before she knew it, Charlotte had drifted off into dreamland. Happier times full of laughter and smiles started to penetrate her plagued mind and for a short while she was happy again; care-free.

While her eyes closed, another pair in the room were just about to open. The medication and sedatives had worn out their welcome, and Graham's hand moved first. It was a quick jolt; almost like a small spasm. It had been like he was dreaming that he was falling and he was trying to catch himself. His chest felt heavy and sore, and when he opened his eyes, the darkness was unfamiliar. His knee was sore, his lips cracked, his mouth was dry, and each breath in felt like a knife through his ribs. His throat was sore from the tubes that had since been removed, but he couldn't find his voice. His eyes raced across the surroundings and it took him a minute to figure out where he was.

Then he saw Charlotte. She was precariously perched in a chair close to his bed asleep. That ache in his chest hurt a little less. "..." He opened his mouth but nothing came out. He tried to muster up enough spit to swallow away his silence, but it didn't work. Weak but determined, Graham saw the remote for the television on the table. It was an arms length away and he was sure he could turn the television on to wake her up.

Moving a little to his side, Graham could feel the pressure against his chest wound and he bit his lip. It hurt like hell, but he was gonna figure it out. He was going to wake up his wife if it was the last thing he ever did. Graham reached out and was just an inch or so away from the remote. Pushing himself into the railing of his bed, the Coastie extended his arm even further. The railing from the bed jabbed him in the wrong spot and he twisted in bed with a grunt. His arm flailed to his side and instead of reaching the remote, he knocked it off the table. It crashed to the floor and the batteries spilled out.

Charlotte's eyes shot open when she heard the commotion and she immediately looked to the floor. Letting out an annoyed sign, Charlotte shoved the blanket off of her and started to reach for the remote but something stopped her. He moved. Graham had moved his leg. Running her brown eyes up his body to his face, Charlotte met his eyes and her world stopped.

"Graham?" She wasn't dreaming, was she?

Smiling with a wince, Graham swallowed. His voice still wasn't there, but he reached out for her hand.

Completely baffled by her husband's coherence, Charlotte felt his warm hand wrap around hers and she started to tear up. She wasn't dreaming. It was real. He was awake. He was alive.

Tears and a soft cry started to echo off her lips, and Charlotte moved closer. "Graham..." She moved in to hug him but remembered his chest injuries. As much as she wanted to wrap her arms around his body, she knew she better not.

Coughing, Graham could tell that his voice was trying to find its way. But until he could say anything, he just pulled her close. He didn't care if it hurt. He didn't even care if it ripped open his staples. He just wanted to be near her.

"I was so afraid...so terrified that something..."

He shook his head and pulled her close, kissing her forehead. "Charlotte..."

His voice sent shivers down her spine. She'd missed him. She'd missed hearing him say her name. So now as it settled in her ears, Charlotte couldn't help but cry. A mix between relieved tears and happy tears, and Charlotte couldn't stop her emotion from boiling over.

Graham was alive. He was okay.

For now.

**OTHOTH**

**Next chapter we'll pick up with the aftermath of the accident. How will Graham cope with the loss of his friends and his injuries? How will Charlotte handle Graham's reactions? And baby number three will likely make her big debut.**

**Reviewers! You guys intertwined within the heart and soul of this story. If it wasn't for y'all I would have stopped a long time ago. Thank you for the constant support and feedback...even when my updates have humongously huge gaps between them. **

**J: Thanks so much for the review for last chapter! I'm glad you enjoyed it!**

**Chrissy: I'm so glad you enjoyed the back and forth in last chapter. There was a little bit of that in this. I hope you liked it, too.**

**CMF: Ha, sorry the last chapter drove you insane. And I'm sure the wait for this new one was equally as aggravating. My bad again. The next couple chapters should be less stressful (I think.)**

**Review Please!**


	32. Stay

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 32: Stay**

**Disclaimer: Let's say this together... I do not own anything related to OTH.**

**A/N: I'm back from the dead. Ok, not really, but I'm back to writing. Life as a high school teacher and coach is crazy. We're holding basketball tryouts for the girls this week, so that should be interesting. It's nine week exams, too. I'm in for one hectic week! But let's get to the goods -the story. As most of you remember, Graham woke up last chapter. He survived the crash and this chapter will be the aftermath. It jumps six weeks after the fact, but we'll see some flashbacks. Oh, and it's _one_ long section this time. There are no breaks. Hope that is okay. Enjoy!**

**OTHOTH**

Graham had never been a big talker. Sure, he'd always been good at telling stories and crafting folklore about the sea and the stars, but when asked about things that made him feel vulnerable, he'd rather not talk about it. Just as most people do, he put up walls. Guarded by an impenetrable force of stubbornness and scarred with experiences and pain, Lieutenant Commander Graham McFarland had found comfort in the silence. He didn't want to think about what had happened. He certainly didn't want to talk about it.

Six weeks had passed since that fateful night of the helicopter crash. It had been six weeks since Trevor died, since Captain Langston died, since the surgeries, and since the healing had started. But healing was a two way street. Both a mental and physical test, Graham was only excelling in one of those areas- the physical side of things. And even there he could be doing better. Emotionally and mentally was where Graham was struggling; really struggling. It was natural, though. He'd gone through and survived an incredible event. Between mourning his friends, blaming himself, and feeling very alone, Graham had shut himself up. He just wanted to be alone, and he didn't want to talk. Lately he didn't want to do a whole lot of anything.

He was gonna have to open up, though. He'd pushed everyone he loved away and if he wasn't careful, he might lose them all.

A light, summer rain was starting to splatter against the window and Graham folded his hands together. He didn't want to talk, but he had to. "That night...that trip... When we were on the chopper headed out there, I could feel it. I knew something was gonna happen."

"Is that part of why you blame yourself? You feel as though you should have stopped the mission?"

"I don't know? Maybe?" He sat back against the couch and ran his hand over his brow. "Sometimes it's that. Sometimes I think that I should have jumped in the water instead of Trevor. Why was I in the chopper when it went down? You know...? Being in there could have saved my life. He's dead. I'm not..."

"But it could have killed you, too. You got out because someone _pulled_ you out."

Hearing that made it feel all the more real. He did survive because someone pulled him out. Feeling his emotions constrict his throat as the memories started to play like a movie in his head, the green-eyed Coastie nodded. John Billings had pulled him out, and Graham would never know how to thank him. He'd already said the words, but it didn't seem like it had been enough. Truly, there were no words or gestures that could portray Graham's many thanks. It just wasn't possible.

"You made it out and now you've got this life to live- to move forward with."

"I just feel stuck. Like I'm still there." Graham turned away and closed his eyes. "I have these dreams where I'm back in the water. I'm sinking and I can't breathe. I try to get to the surface but I can't. I can feel the pressure of the ocean start to squeeze my body as I fall to the bottom, and I can't do anything. I wake up and it's just too real." The nights he'd woken up in cold sweats with fear covering his face were more often than not.

"But it _did_ happen. The accident. You survived. It happened."

Rubbing his hands down to tops of his legs as if comforting himself, Graham nodded. "It's just hard to think about it is all."

"And I'm gonna try to help you get past it. Everything we talk about will help you let go of the accident and make peace with it."

"I know." Graham may have been stubborn, but he knew this was what was best. Talking it out with a therapist was going to help him. He'd pushed everyone else away, but now he was fighting back. As much as he didn't like it, Graham needed this. He could lose everything and everyone if he couldn't get past it all. Charlotte deserved better, the kids...his family and friends. He was doing it for them and maybe most importantly he was doing it for himself.

Resting her clipboard on her legs, the therapist looked to Graham. "Tell me about your toughest day since the accident. If we can get through that, then maybe we can get through the rest."

His toughest day? How many could he pick? There had been quite a few. Some days his injuries and the pain made him wish he were dead. Some days he laid on the couch all day and never said a word to anyone. Sometimes he yelled. Sometimes he got frustrated. Most times he just wanted it all to go away.

Knowing exactly when he'd hit bottom, Graham took a deep breath. "Uh...it was probably the day of the Diligence Dash last week."

_The morning June light was coming in from the window but Graham was still in bed. He could hear Charlotte getting ready in the bathroom, but he wasn't in a hurry to get up. In fact, he didn't want to move at all. His side, back, and shoulder were all aching. The scar from surgery that ran from his side across his back felt like it had been ripped back open. He'd been healing relatively well from his injuries, but today he felt like hell. Just because he'd been fixed by doctors didn't mean the pain had gone away- not yet at least. Broken ribs, a dislocated shoulder, and internal injuries left him with more than simple aches and pains which had plagued the Coastie for the last month. His recovery was anything but speedy._

_Charlotte was hurting too. As she slipped a pair of earrings on, she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror and could see the circles under her eyes. Seven months pregnant, tired, and feeling like she was fighting an uphill battle, Charlotte bit her lip. Maybe today things would turn around? Maybe today would be a good day? She really couldn't handle anymore bad ones. If Graham wasn't in pain, he was angry. And if he wasn't angry he wallowed in self pity. He wouldn't talk to her, he wouldn't talk to Ben. Graham wouldn't talk to anyone. Charlotte was trying her best to give him time and give him space, but she'd had enough. It had been five weeks and Graham wasn't getting better, and Charlotte couldn't keep going through the motions-tiptoeing around her own husband and everything that had happened. She didn't want to fight about it anymore, and she didn't want to cry about it anymore. Pretty soon there was gonna be another baby around and that was her main concern._

_Walking into the bedroom, Charlotte slid her phone off the dresser and turned to the bed. She had a feeling he was awake. "You sure you don't want to come? We can wait for you. It might be nice to get out." The Diligence Dash had always been a fun occasion. Most of Tree Hill filled the streets to cheer on the runners and shop at booths set up on the Riverwalk. Not only was it fun, but it was important for them-for Charlotte and Graham. After all, eight years ago they'd met at the Diligence Dash. _

_Graham took a deep breath and rolled his eyes. "What? Get there and have everyone come up to me and ask me how I'm doing?" His tone said it all. He didn't want to go._

"_Graham..." Charlotte closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She breathed deeply and sighed, "You have to get out at some point. You cannot stay cooped up in the house anymore. Nothing's gonna get better with you just sitting around." Her tone was full of concern rather than anger, but Charlotte was at her whits end._

"_Sitting around? Is that what you think?" He slowly sat up in bed and grimaced. The covers fell off his bare chest and he lifted up his arm to show her the scar. "Does this look like I'm just sitting around, Charlotte? I was in a fucking helicopter crash. Two of my friends died. Jesus Christ...give me a break..."_

_Immediately Charlotte could tell this was one of the bad days, but how dare he talk to her like that. Charlotte's mouth fell open and she shook her head as her eyes welled with tears. Did he not realize everything she was doing for him- everything she was trying to do? She was bending over backwards to make sure he was comfortable and had everything he could ever need. "Give you a break? Give you a break! Graham, it has been five weeks since the accident. Five weeks!" Her voice was starting to crack with emotion. "I have been doing everything I can to keep this family together, but you have got to start trying. This...I can't do this anymore." Her hands rested on her belly and she flicked a tear away._

_Graham wasn't letting up. "Well sorry I've been such a burden on you..."_

"_Ugh...Graham. Stop. Just stop it!" Charlotte stomped her foot and bit her lip. "You are not gonna make me feel bad about this. You're the one who's pushing me away. You're pushing everyone away."_

"_No I'm not."_

"_Yes you are! Ever since the funerals you've been nearly impossible to be around. The other night you were throwing things out in the backyard. You're scaring me and the kids, and we can't keep living like this."_

"_Whatever..." He leaned back in bed and shook his head. "Leave me alone."_

_Mumbling under her breath as she quickly tried to get her purse, Charlotte pressed her tears into her cheeks. She couldn't be around him when he was like this. Turning to the door, Charlotte glanced back at her broken husband and felt her heart break, "Please... Just..."_

"_Go away, Charlotte."_

_With that, she did. Charlotte quickly wiped away any tears and took a few deep breaths as she left the bedroom. He was such an ass._

_Hattie and Scott were sitting on the living room floor when their mom started to walk towards them. They'd heard the yelling. It was becoming more and more common in their house these days. Hattie was only four but she knew what was going on. And in trying to be a good older sister, she'd helped put her little brother's shoes on. _

_Looking up from her crouched position, Hattie glanced up to brown eyes that matched her own. "I think I got 'em."_

_Hoping her reddened face didn't give away her sad mood, Charlotte walked closer to her children with a forced smile. She knelt down to them and ran her hand over Hattie's brown hair. "Thanks, Hat." Charlotte looked to Scott's little tennis shoes and laughed, "They're on the wrong feet."_

_Feeling a little defeated, Hattie's brow furrowed. "Whoops."_

"_It's okay. It's a quick fix." Charlotte quickly swapped Scott's shoes and then picked up her son. "How bout grabbing the bag, Hat? That would be a big help."_

_Those brown eyes of Hattie's glistened and she nodded. "Kay."_

_The three of them headed out of the house and towards the hustle and bustle of downtown. Hopefully the Diligence Dash could lighten all of their spirits._

After jotting down a few quick notes, the woman sitting across from Graham looked to him as she adjusted her glasses, "What about that day made it tough?"

"They didn't come home. Charlotte and the kids." Taking a deep breath, the Coastie shrugged his shoulders. "They left."

"And that was the defining moment?"

It had been more than a _moment_. It had been a lifetime that had flashed before his eyes. Everything Graham had built with Charlotte was gone, and it was his fault. "I guess that was when I knew how bad it had gotten- how terrible I was."

"I wouldn't say you were terrible. PTSD changes your mood and makes you act differently than before, but you weren't terrible. You were and _are_ still coming to terms with the accident."

"I don't know about that." He sighed and ran his hand over his hair again. Over the last few days, he'd more or less come to the conclusion that he was a terrible person. Everything he'd put Charlotte through- the kids, nobody should have to experience that. Especially them. "I think back on it all and I wish I could change it. Throwing things, breaking things. Yelling. It didn't help anything."

"I'm glad you think so. Coming to terms with behavior patterns is something I hoped we could get to today." Writing a quick note, the woman smiled and pressed Graham some more. "Tell me what happened once your family left for the race?"

The memory was still fresh in his mind.

_Morning turned to afternoon, and quickly night started to fall upon Tree Hill. It was already close to 9pm. Graham had slept most of the day. He'd ignored his phone, the dog, and the rest of the world. He hadn't even gotten out of bed to eat. Graham just didn't have it in him._

_The voicemail tone on his phone beeped and for whatever reason, this time Graham decided to see who wanted to talk to him. He cracked his eyes from the sleep he'd been trying to catch, and huffed as he reached for the phone. If it was anyone at the base, he didn't want to hear it. Checking the screen, he realized how late it was. Graham could also see who had called. It hadn't been the base, it hadn't been his best friend, or his parents. It was a few missed calls and one voicemail from his wife. She'd left a message a couple hours ago._

_Raising the phone to his ear, Graham waited to hear her voice. Maybe she was asking what he wanted her to bring home for dinner?_

"_Hey, it's me." Charlotte soft voice was quiet. "I uh... We all had a good time downtown. The kids are both asleep. They ran around the Riverwalk and played with Bennet and Claire for a while. It was actually a pretty cute game of tag." Charlotte closed her eyes and could tell she was rambling. "I just... Everyone kept asking me how you were doing and me being me...of course, I just smiled and told them you were doing fine. But Graham...you're not okay. We're not okay." Looking up to the red light she was stopped at, Charlotte bit her lip as her eyes began to water. "So I think I'm gonna stay at my parents tonight. Probably for a while, actually." There was a long pause and then she spoke again. "I can't keep doing this, so I think it's for the best." Looking to the rearview mirror and feeling her heart shatter even more as she looked to the kids, the mother of two, soon to be three, sniffed. "I'll talk to you tomorrow, I guess." There was another long pause and then Charlotte finally whispered a few more words before hanging up. "I love you."_

_The message ended and Graham felt frozen in the bed. She'd left? Charlotte and the kids were gone? As his brain tried to register what was going on, Graham tried to call her back. Charlotte's phone must have been off though, because it was going straight to voicemail._

_Frustrated, Graham called his best friend and then heard Ben's voice say hello. "Ben...she left."_

"_What?"_

_Graham started to sit up and pushed the covers away from him. "Charlotte and the kids. She's not home and I got a voicemail from her telling me she was staying at her parents. They're gone." Graham's frantic conversation wasn't met with much from Ben, and Graham widened his eyes, "Jesus, say something man. Charlotte and the kids left."_

_Ben wanted to take his best friend's side, but the Tennessean knew that things with Graham hadn't been pretty lately. Just the other night Charlotte had called Sawyer in tears saying something about Graham throwing things out of the shed in the backyard. Ben had showed up to try and help but was faced with the angry attitude of someone he'd never met. Graham was different, and not a good kind of different. "Let her go, Graham. She probably needs it."_

_Let her go? Graham's heart sank. "What the hell, Ben!"_

"_Look, Graham... I know you don't want to hear it, but you've been an asshole to everyone...including your wife over the last month or so. Can you really blame her for wanting to take a breather? You and your inability to make things better are killing her- Charlotte and the kids." Now Ben's tone was the one that was getting angry. "And you know what Hattie told me today after the race? She told me in her sweet, innocent, little way that you were scary. So what the hell, Graham? If them leaving...if that's not a wake-up call, then I don't know what is. You have to get it together for yourself and for your family. Those kids need you and Charlotte needs you. And as a matter of fact, I wouldn't mind having my friend back either."_

"_Ben..." Graham's own temper had subsided after listening to Ben. "I don't..."_

"_If you're just gonna yell at me, then fine. I can take it. But don't you dare think Charlotte's the bad guy in this. That's not fair."_

_Graham wasn't gonna yell at Ben. The lump in his throat and the beating in his chest was putting things in perspective. "Come get me."_

"_What?"_

"_I can't drive cause of my meds, so do me a favor and come get me." _

_Ben's anger was idling. Graham's epiphany had finally come- long overdue, but he was finally seeing things clearly. "I'll be there in a minute."_

Taking notes as she seemed to constantly do, the therapist nodded, "So it seems it was a mix between Charlotte leaving and your friend more or less yelling at you, that you knew something was wrong- that you needed to make a change."

"Yeah." Graham nodded. "Even before the accident I never imagined a life without Charlotte and the kids. Never. I knew we'd never let ourselves get close to divorce. We were too committed to each other. It was gonna be death that broke us apart, so when she left... When I was home alone and holding that phone out as Ben yelled at me, I knew I'd made a mistake. And I had to fix it."

The therapist slid a tissue box closer to the couch and she nodded, "So you went after them."

"Ben couldn't drive fast enough." Graham started to grin and he swallowed hard. "That ride was the longest seven minutes of my life."

_Charlotte watched her mom pour herself a cup of coffee and then take a seat next to her._

"_I can get you something if you want it." Haley looked at her warm beverage and wondered if Charlotte would want something._

_Charlotte shook her head but smiled politely. "I'm fine."_

"_You know..." Haley looked to her youngest and those brown eyes of hers were as big as the moon. "You're a lot like me, telling everybody that you're fine and all." Lifting her brows, Haley sipped her coffee. "Your dad even got on to me once about that." Haley could still hear Nathan's high school words in her head._

"_It's just easier," Charlotte shrugged._

"_Sometimes." Haley nodded and then looked to Charlotte with concern. "What happened this time?" Haley knew Charlotte was having a rough go of it. And if anyone was going to give advice to a woman who was dealing with an unresponsive husband after an accident, it was Haley. She'd been through it with Nathan and was hoping to offer Charlotte some words of wisdom if she'd let her._

"_Ugh..." The hormones and her exhaustion already started to make her chin quiver, "I asked him if he wanted to come with us today and it ended up becoming more like a screaming match." She reached over to grab a near by paper towel and dabbed her eyes._

_Furrowing her brow, Haley reached out to console her daughter._

_Charlotte's eyes welled even more when her mom touched her. "And you're right, I'm like you. I go around telling everyone that it's fine, but it's not." Looking up to matching brown eyes, Charlotte felt a tear drop from her lid, "Mom, I'm losing him to something I can't fight."_

"_You're fighting it right now, honey." Looking around the house, Haley turned back to her daughter. "You're here."_

"_Ugh, and I bet he's so mad at me. I bet you he thinks I'm punishing him."_

"_Well in a way, you are. You're putting your foot down and trying to show him that things have to change. I remember after your dad's accident...I came downstairs and he was just sitting on the couch like he had for a while. I was fed up, and like you and Graham, we started arguing. I'm pretty sure I flung a plate of empty bottles at him. It was bad."_

"_What did Dad do?"_

_Coming down the stairs and walking towards his two favorite girls, Nathan shoved his hands in his pockets and lifted his shoulders, "I knew I had to change." He'd gone to check on his two grandkids and stood on the other side of the counter. He nodded at his wife of close to forty years. "I was being an idiot and selfish." Nathan never liked to remember that time of his life. He knew he'd been an absolute jerk to Haley and everyone around him. "So I started to make a change. It was the little things at first."_

"_Well what did you do?"_

_Smiling about it now, Nathan looked to Haley with kind eyes. "Jamie and I made dinner for your mom."_

_Smiling because she knew her parents had been to each extreme on the spectrum of love over their years together, Charlotte's eyes softened. "I don't think Graham's going to having dinner..." Realizing how late it was, Charlotte raised her brow, "...or breakfast for me when I go home..."_

"_He might." Nathan got a water bottle and twisted the cap off. "When you're faced with losing everything you love, you'll do what it takes. Dinner or breakfast...whatever it is. However Graham sees it in his head, he'll do what's right." He and Haley had their fair share of moments of doubt; times where they had to fight, really fight for their relationship. Nathan knew, or hoped, Graham would be the kind of guy to fight for what he wanted, too._

"_I just..." Charlotte bit her lip. "What happens if things don't change."_

"_They will." Haley put her hand over Charlotte's._

"_Mom..." Charlotte wanted her mother to be realistic. Things might not change. This could be it. Resting her hands over her growing belly, Charlotte took a deep breath._

_Glancing at the clock, Haley knew her pregnant daughter must have been exhausted. "Come on. Let's go to bed and think about all this in the morning."_

_Charlotte nodded and followed up her mom upstairs. Sleep sounded good. At least in what dreams may come, Charlotte could remember the good times. The great times; the moments she'd shared with that handsome Coastie she'd never forget or want to forget. Because lately...lately, Charlotte and Graham had been making everything but memories. _

_Nathan stayed back to turn off the downstairs lights. With only a couple to go, he saw headlights come up the driveway and Nathan walked closer to the front door having a feeling about who'd come to the house so late. He could hear voices and then as Nathan expected, there was a knock on the door._

_Graham was surprised at how cool the late night temperature had become. Even though it was summer, the June night was chilly. But he could bare the chill in the air. He would wait all night if he had to._

_He wouldn't, though. Nathan opened the door and looked at his son-in-law with a stern face._

"_Can I talk to her?" Feeling very much like a teenage kid trying to win the approval of his girlfriend's father, Graham looked to Nathan pleadingly apologetic. "I know she's here."_

_Nathan stood there for a moment trying to think of what to say. A punch to the mouth would have been nice, but Nathan wasn't going to do that. He couldn't deny the strong urge to do so, but he wasn't going to hit Charlotte's husband. Instead he just cut his eyes and shook his head. "You gotta fix things, Graham. She needs you." As much as it killed Nathan to think that Charlotte might need someone in her life more than him, he knew that she did. Even though his daughter was nearly thirty-one, Nathan still held a protective heart over his only daughter._

"_I know." Graham could only imagine the boiling desire Nathan had to knock him upside the head, so he was appreciative that knuckles did come flying towards his face._

_Moving away from the doorway, Charlotte's dad tilted his head towards the stairs. "She's upstairs."_

_Graham swallowed hard before stepping into the house. "Thank you." Knowing his way around Nathan and Haley's house, he started for the stairs and then quietly walked towards Charlotte's old room. The kids were most likely sleeping in Jamie's old room, so Graham lifted a knuckled to his wife's childhood bedroom door._

_Charlotte heard the knock and assumed it was one of her parents. "Yeah?" She was lying on her side with her back to the door._

"_Hey."_

_Hearing his voice made every hair on her body stand up while her heart started to race. She slowly started to turn over and saw her husband standing by the door. "Graham?"_

"_I got your message."_

"_Yeah?" She figured he did since he was standing in her doorway. Charlotte nodded and started to sit up in the bed. Her vocabulary seemed limited at the moment. There mere image of Graham in front of her was taking her words away._

_Walking over towards her, Graham sat down on the bed and shook his head. He mumbled at first and then got a grip on what he was trying to say. "I know that this has been hard- that I've made things hard. I think I lost sight of things for a while, but God, Charlotte, when you left, I..." Graham was starting to get a little choked up, "You and the kids..."_

_She knew what he was saying. The decision to not go home had her heart twisted in the same direction. Looking at him, Charlotte wanted to believe that things were going to get better. "We have to get past this."_

"_I know. And I'll do whatever it takes." His moment of clarity had turned into a full commitment to getting things back to how they'd been and how they were supposed to be._

_Feeling her heart swell as she looked into her Coastie's green eyes, Charlotte leaned in to kiss him. Her lips found his and it was as if they were starting over. He knew it. She knew it. They both knew it._

_Wrapping his arms around her, Graham rested his forehead against hers, "I want to fix this."_

_Charlotte nodded and pulled back. "Me too." Her eyes roamed his tired looking face _

_He took a deep breath and looked into those giant brown eyes of hers, "Maybe if I go talk to that therapist at the base? That might help?" _

_Knowing how hard it must have been for him to say that, Charlotte nodded and rubbed her hands against his sides. "And I'll go with you, if you want." She didn't want him to go through it alone. Her hands snaked up his sides and around his neck. "We can do it together."_

_Taking a deep breath, Graham nodded. He'd put off the idea of going to talk to somebody for so long. But if talking it out meant he could get his family back, then he'd do it. "I'll call tomorrow."_

_Smiling, Charlotte pulled him close and hugged him. Her cheek rested against his and she could smell his scent. She closed her eyes as she breathed him in. It felt like forever since they'd been so close._

The therapist continued to take notes and then she turned her attention from Graham to the person sitting next to him. "It seems like leaving him, even if for only a few hours, may have been exactly what he needed. It couldn't have been an easy decision, though. Tell me about that."

Charlotte took a deep breath and clutched the tissue she had in her hand. "No. It wasn't easy." Charlotte felt Graham take her hand and she swallowed hard. "I didn't want to do it. I just... We were having _such_ a hard time communicating with one another that it seemed like the only way to get his attention."

Nodding, the therapist continued to question Charlotte. "Now I know this is only our second session, but have you seen any changes in Graham?"

"Yeah...I mean first off, he's gotten much better about..."

A timer went off and Dr. Goodson took a deep breath and smiled. "I guess we'll have to save that for Thursday."

Graham stood up and helped Charlotte get to her feet. He turned to the therapist and nodded. "Thank you."

"Yes, thank you so much." Charlotte nodded and smiled at the woman.

After goodbyes were exchanged, Charlotte and Graham walked out of the building and towards the parking lot. The two of them got to Charlotte's car and Graham watched his wife rummage through her purse to find the keys.

He grinned and leaned against the door. He started to laugh and shook his head.

"You're not allowed to make fun of me." Charlotte continued to search for her keys and flashed her husband a sweet smirk. "It's part of our non-negative associations, remember."

Nodding, Graham smiled back and held his hands up. "I didn't even say anything."

Charlotte found her keys and dangled them out towards him. She stepped next to Graham and shrugged her shoulders, "See. I found them...eventually."

He smiled at her and then stepped close. His green eyes locked in with her brown ones. "Thanks for coming, today."

His sincerity and the way he looked in his utility blues made Charlotte's heart melt. She nodded and leaned over to kiss him sweetly on the cheek. "I'm glad we're doing this."

"Me too." So far everything was working out well. Two therapy sessions down, and the married couple were making clear progress. They had a long way to go, but Charlotte and Graham were headed in the right direction. Graham helped Charlotte get into her car and leaned into the window. He glanced to the main building and then back to his wife. "I'll probably get done around here about one, so I was thinking I could pick up Hattie on my way home." Their daughter was at the library's kid's summer program, hearing stories and making Popsicle sticks arts and crafts. Graham thought it might be nice to get in some daddy-daughter time.

Thinking the same thing, Charlotte nodded. "I think she'll like that."

"Alright. I'll see you later, then." Graham leaned through the car window to kiss Charlotte and then watched her pull away.

Back to work, Graham walked towards one of the other buildings on the base. He wasn't back to his normal rescue swimmer duties just yet, though. Jumping out of helicopters was a long way off. Now, and for the next month or so, Graham would be working at a desk, running paper and reports. It wasn't what he loved to do, but if a paper cut was the most serious injury that could happen, then it would work for him. He'd get back to saving lives and going out on patrols when he was ready. Baby steps. It was all about taking baby steps.

After typing up a few reports and meeting with his commanding officer, Graham was finished for the day. Driving towards the library, the Coastie stuck his hand out the window and let the late June air glide over his hand. The library wasn't far and Graham found a parking spot on the side of the building. Parents were supposed to go inside to the children's section to pick up their kids, so that's where Graham went.

Plopped down on one of the colorful beanbags holding a book up to her face, Hattie was explaining the pictures to some of her friends. She couldn't read just yet, but she could tell a story.

"And then...then the purple hippotatamus landed in the yucky mud. He started swimming and blowing bubbles. It was real messy."

Graham could hear his oldest voice rise and fall with excitement as she told her little friends all about a purple hippopotamus. Walking closer, Graham caught Hattie's eye.

Caught off guard, Hattie closed the book and started to get up. "The end."

"The end?" Graham frowned, "It sounded like you were just getting to the good part, Minnow."

Picking up the colorful bookmark they'd made at the camp, Hattie shook her head. "It's over."

"Oh..." Knowing Hattie had cut her story short, Graham couldn't help but feel bad. "Alright, well..." He waved to the librarians as he walked Hattie out to the car. "I was thinking ice-cream before we headed home. How's that sound?"

"I don't want ice-cream." The little girl looked down to her shoes and kept walking alongside her father.

Another blow to his chest and Graham took a deep breath. "Not even mint chocolate chip? Maybe we can surprise mom and take some to her, too?"

"I just want to go home." Hattie looked up to her dad and flashed him those big, brown eyes of hers.

"Alright. We can do that." Graham helped Hattie into the car and then they headed for home. Driving through the streets of Tree Hill, Graham kept glancing back to his daughter wondering what he could say to remind her that he was getting better- that he wasn't so mad anymore.

Nothing was coming to mind.

It didn't take too long for them to get home. Graham watched Hattie hurry up the porch steps and he opened the door for them.

Charlotte heard the door open and she watched her husband and oldest come inside. She glanced at Graham questioning what had happened to daddy-daughter bonding time.

"Mama, look..." Hattie held out the colorful bookmark she'd made and smiled proudly.

"Oh man, Hat. That's incredible." Charlotte smiled and looked towards the stairs. "Do you want to go put it in your room by your books?"

"No, it's for you."

"Oh." Charlotte smiled and then looked towards her and Graham's bedroom. "Well, why don't you put it on top of the book next to the bed." Hattie nodded and Charlotte watched the little girl run off to the bedroom. Turning towards her husband, Charlotte lifted her shoulders, "So what happened to bonding time?"

Graham spotted his two year old son on the floor playing with trains and picked him up as he walked towards Charlotte. "Hey, Sailor." He shrugged and then scratched a spot just above his brow. "I don't know. When I got there she was telling a cute little story but didn't want to finish it when I got closer. Then I asked her if she wanted to get ice-cream and she didn't. I...I don't know. I think she's still a little bit weary of me."

Feeling her heart break, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "I'll go talk to her."

Graham watched Charlotte disappear into the bedroom and he sat down to play with Scott. "Wanna race these trains?"

While the father and son played together in the living room, Charlotte approached their daughter. "So, kiddo... What's this I hear about you not wanting ice-cream? You _never_ turn down ice-cream?"

Turning around to face her mom, Hattie lifted her shoulders in the air. "I don't know."

Moving to sit on the bed, Charlotte made room so Hattie could get up on there with her. "Come here, you." Holding out her arm, the thirty-one year old felt Hattie slide next to her. "Did not want to get ice-cream because you didn't want any or because you didn't want to go with your daddy?"

Hattie didn't need to answer. Charlotte could see it in her eyes. "Honey..." Charlotte took a deep breath and ran her hand over Hattie's soft brown hair. "Your dad is feeling so much better than he was. He's not so sad anymore and he's not mad." Charlotte looked deep into her oldest's eyes. "He's better now and all he wants to do is hang out with his favorite girl."

"Me?"

"Yes, you, silly." Charlotte laughed and hugged Hattie close. "And you know what would make his day?" Charlotte let a moment pass before answering her own question. "You going out there and playing with him."

Hattie brushed away the hair from her face and nodded. "Okay." The four year old slid off the bed and walked out into the living room. She saw her dad on the floor playing with her little brother, and Hattie made her way over to them.

"Woo-wooo..." Imitated the whistle of a train, the Coastie grinned, "All aboard..." Graham rolled a train along the hardwood floor and under between Scott's feet.

The little boy laughed and held up his red caboose. "Woo-wooo!"

"Chug-a-chug-a-chug-a-chug-a Woo-woo!" Graham smiled and turned the train towards the kitchen.

"Mines. Attie!" Scott furrowed his brow when he saw his sister take a train from his collection.

Turning towards the kids, Graham smiled and shook his head. "It's fine. She can play, too. You gotta share."

Smiling at her dad. Hattie got down on her hands and knees and started to roll her train closer to Graham. The three of them played for a few minutes. Graham helped Scott make a bridge for the trains, and Hattie rearranged the railroad station.

Graham picked up a couple of little toy people and handed them to Hattie. "Here, these people should probably be in the station, don't ya think?"

"Yeah. They're...they're waiting to...go on a trip."

"They are?" Eager to hear his daughter's imagination run wild, Graham couldn't help but ask questions.

"Mmm-huh. To...the beach."

"The beach? What are they going to do there?"

Nodding, Hattie placed the little people inside the station. "First they're gonna build sandcastles. Big ones. Tall as you." Hattie glanced at her dad and smiled.

"As tall as me? No way. That's not possible." Graham grinned and continued to listen to Hattie go on and on about sandcastles and then sea turtles. It was cute.

Charlotte walked out of the bedroom after laying down for a little bit and saw the kids playing with Graham. She made eye contact with her husband and she could see him nod at her- thanking Charlotte for whatever she might have said to Hattie. Nodding right back and enjoying the scene in front of her, Charlotte leaned into the door frame and rested her head against the wood. Her hands wrapped around her belly and she knew things were getting back on track. It wasn't perfect, and it would be a while before things went back to normal. They were getting there, though. Charlotte and Graham were starting to become the couple they'd been before the accident. They were becoming the family they'd been.

It was a good feeling.

It was a great feeling.

**OTHOTH**

**So...Graham had a little bit of healing to do in the aftermath of the accident. I hope you liked how it all played out. It wasn't quite what I thought or planned on doing, but I think it worked out well- at least I hope so. Next chapter we'll get to meet the newest baby and go from there. **

**A note to my reviewers. You know you guys are my motivations for writing. Your words are much appreciated! Thank you for patiently waiting for a review reply. I have replied to the members and here are the anonymous review replies below: **

**Chrissy: I'm happy you enjoyed the last chapter. Life has been busy, but I LOVE writing. So when have the time, I most certainly try to get as much as I can done. Thanks for understanding about the slow updates. I'm hoping things will pick up on that ****front. **

**H: Sawyer's scare and the revelations that come with her pregnancy were explored in her latest chapter. We will see Sawyer and Ben in a bigger capacity in this story soon. I'm glad you liked the chapter!**

**Please review!**


	33. Plan B

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 33: Plan B**

**Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing related to One Tree Hill. This is simply a spin-off. **

**A/N: Last time we saw that Graham was on the road to recovery from the accident. Charlotte's pregnant with no. 3 but before we meet her, the family is off to the Outer Banks.**

**OTHOTH**

Just awake, Charlotte closed her eyes again. The peaceful quiet of the empty bedroom encouraged her to fall back into her tranquil slumber. She nudged into her soft pillow ready to sleep through the summer morning, but quite whispers of two young voices bounced off the hardwood. The thirty-one year old couldn't tell what her children were saying, but she smiled anyway.

"Guys..." Graham walked in behind his two kids with a tray full of a homemade breakfast. The old wooden floors of his old bedroom at his parent's home creaked with each step. He tilted his head toward the bed and whispered to his oldest. "Minnow, make a path."

A path? Charlotte lifted her brow and cracked open an eye. What kind of morning was this turning out to be?

"Hey...no peeking!" A green-eyed little boy made a face at his mother and twisted his mouth into a scrunch when he saw one of her brown eyes open.

Laughing at the authority in her toddler's voice, Charlotte nodded, promptly closing her lids and whispering out a sweet apology.

"We made you something." Hattie climbed up on the bed leaned into her mother's warm body.

Graham saw that their two-and-a-half-year-old was struggling to climb up the sheets, so he gently gave Scott a lift with his foot; somehow managing not to spill a single thing in the process.

"You made me something?" Charlotte rolled over and started to sit up. She could smell the bacon and the sweet acidity that that orange juice brought into the room. A slight burnt smell told her there was toast, or perhaps an English muffin. Curious to find out, Charlotte questioned her three favorite people. "Is it safe to open my eyes now?"

"No."

Graham laughed at Scott's reply. He was in that 'no' stage most small children go through. To Scott, everything was no. Do you want to play? No. Do you want ice-cream? No. Do you want to take a bath? Noooooo!

The older green-eyed McFarland set the tray down in front of his wife and nodded. "Yes, you can look now."

Slowly opening her eyes, Charlotte gazed at the feast in front of her. Scrambled eggs, perfectly crisped bacon, an English muffin with two choices of jelly, sliced up fruit, and a tall glass of orange juice all sat in front of her.

Making sure her mom knew exactly why there was so much food, Hattie leaned in close. "It's not all for you. It's for the baby, too."

Widening her eyes, Charlotte warmly smiled as she rested one of her hands on her growing belly. Sometime in the next couple weeks they'd all get to meet the newest member of their family. "Thank you, Hattie."

"Me too. I's helped." Scott had secured his seat in his dad's lap and nodded. "That's my bacon."

"What about Dad? Did he do anything?" Charlotte bit down on a piece of bacon and raised her brow. She knew her handsome husband had to help do something.

Holding out his hands, Graham looked to the kids. "It was all them."

"Us _and_ Grandma." Hattie's whisper was anything but.

Graham's mom, Anne, had whipped up breakfast after Graham suggested it, but he couldn't take too much credit. He looked down to the food and realized they'd forgotten something rather important. "I forgot a fork. You want anything else, while I'm down there?" He started to move off the bed and set Scott down in the mess of covers.

"Um...do you think you could get some...hot sauce?" Charlotte laughed at herself because she wasn't normally one for spicy food, but pregnancy threw her tastebuds into a fuss.

With a sweet grin, Graham nodded, "Whatever you want." He wandered down the stairs to the kitchen and found what he needed. Passing two little munchkins on the stairs, Graham arched his brow, "And where are you two going?" The Coastie watched Hattie lead Scott carefully down the steps.

"To play." Hattie pushed her brown hair out of her face when she turned back to her dad.

"Don't play too hard. In a little while we're gonna go to the beach."

Even though it was still early in the morning, it was August. The summer heat had already made it's way into the mid-morning air. Thinking about the temperature outside and then glancing at the bottle of hot sauce, Graham couldn't help but laugh. He walked back into his old bedroom and saw Charlotte pick up the two halves of her English muffin.

Hearing her husband walk in, Charlotte widened her big brown eyes. "Perfect timing." She eagerly took the hot sauce from Graham and dumped what seemed like half the bottle on her make-shift breakfast sandwich.

"Whoa..." Graham started to reach for the bottle when the orangy-red sauce started to ooze out of the sides of the sandwich. "...get enough there?" He laughed and grabbed one of the pieces of bacon.

"I know." Charlotte shrugged her shoulders with a hint of embarrassment. "But the baby wants what she wants." Leaning across the tray, Charlotte stole a quick kiss from Graham. "Thanks for this."

Kissing her back one more time, Graham nodded. "You're welcome." He watched his beautiful, elegant, gracious wife, bite into the sandwich like a ravenous animal overcome with the desire to eat everything in view.

A stream of sauce rolled down Charlotte's chin, and she didn't hesitate for a second to wipe it with the topside of her hand and then lick the remaining decadence off her skin. Knowing full well how she appeared, Charlotte held her hand up to her mouth. "Don't watch me. I know I'm stuffing my face. I can't..."

Graham could only smile at Charlotte's worrisome tone and placed a sweet kiss on her cheek. "You're beautiful." Just as it came out of his mouth, Graham could feel the hot pepper sauce settle on his lips. He moved away from the bed and made a face.

"Sorry. Sorry... I'm so sorry." Seeing her husband's face, Charlotte's apology was mixed with laughter. "Sorry."

Shaking his head, the thirty-four year old Coastie grinned. "I'll leave you with your sandwich." He pointed with his thumb behind him. "I told the kids we'd go to the beach soon. You can come with us then, or go later." He knew her current condition would call for as little time in the sweltering heat as possible, but if she wanted to come, he wanted that too.

"Okay."

Charlotte picked up a grape and soothed her fiery mouth with the fruit's sweet nectar. Her husband disappeared downstairs, and Charlotte got lost in one of the trashy tabloid magazines. Her breakfast quickly dwindled, and the Ivy-League educated woman had nearly finished the crossword in the back of the magazine when she decided for a change in scenery. She'd been in bed for an hour or so, knew the kids and Graham had gone to the beach, and also knew she might as well head that way. Mitchell or Anne had probably stayed home and could give her a ride.

Scooting off the bed, Charlotte tossed on some beach clothes, grabbed her empty breakfast tray and headed downstairs. Passing pictures of Graham and his brother and sister as kids, Charlotte could feel the indigestion from her spicy morning kick in. Maybe she should have been a little more conservative with her proportions this morning?

Anne walked into the kitchen from the outside and had her gardening gloves on with a big straw hat. Seeing her daughter-in-law, Graham's mother smiled, "Be glad you waited to go to the beach . It's an absolute furnace out there." Pulling off her gloves, Anne took a deep breath, "Can I get you something?"

"Uh..." Charlotte placed her empty tray in the sink and started to rinse the dishes off. "You wouldn't have any Tums, would you? I think I overdid it on the hot sauce this morning." Rubbing her chest, Charlotte should have known heartburn was on its way.

"Sure, sure. Mitch goes through those things like candy. Pizza, Spaghetti. You name it, and it'll give that man heartburn." Rolling her eyes with a soft laugh, Anne handed Charlotte the small bottle. "Knowing him, they'll come home from the beach and he'll be as red as a lobster." Anne moved over to finish up Charlotte's dishes. "Sit, relax. I'll finish this up."

With the same mindset as her own mother, Charlotte would tell people that she was pregnant, not elderly. She could still do the everyday things she needed to, but today with that heartburn, Charlotte wouldn't deny the opportunity to take it easy.

"Thanks." Charlotte popped the ant-acid in her mouth and went to sit down on the couch.

Once she was done in the kithcen, Anne walked in and saw Charlotte leaning back against the sofa taking slow, deep breaths. "Is it that bad? I can see if I have some Pepto. That might help too."

Shifting in her seat, Charlotte started to get up. She felt clammy and sweaty. It was probably the weather on top of the heartburn, but something was off. As the thirty-one year old stood up, she felt the uncomfortable feeling spread from her chest down to her stomach. "Anne..." Charlotte grinned with a tone of worry in her voice. "I'm in labor."

"Oh my goodness. Are you sure?" Anne's shock and surprised emotions were settling over her kind face.

"I think so." Charlotte put her hand on her back and slowly walked toward the kitchen. "Yep. Pretty sure."

"Okay, okay. Um...I've got my keys around here somewhere. Do you want me to call Graham and get him to get you, or...?"

"They can meet us." The hospital on the Outer Banks was one town away. Even though it wasn't that far of a drive, Charlotte wanted to get to the hospital sooner rather than later.

Anne ushered Charlotte out the door and smacked the hazard lights on before she even started the car.

Charlotte quickly dialed Graham's phone number and stared out the window as Anne drove to the hospital. "Pick up. Pick up. Pick up." Charlotte's small encouragement didn't help. Her husband's phone and ringer had been quieted by the laugher of children and waves crashing onto shore. Charlotte did the only thing she could. She left him a message and could only hope that he'd get to the hospital in time.

**OTHOTH**

The green ocean sparkled in the sunlight, and Graham held his breath as he dove under an approaching wave. He loved the way the water rolled over him and the sound of the wave as it passed overhead. The pressure of the ocean would wash over his skin, pushing him down, but Graham loved the fight- against the current, the waves, the seaweed- against it all. He could taste the saltines of the sea every time he came up and he licked his lips with an eager attempt for more.

Going under once more, the Coastie opened his eyes. Immune to the initial sting of the salt water, Graham watched the sandy bottom sway with the rhythm of the ocean, and he pushed through the waves toward two legs standing nearby. His father was wading in the water holding a raft the kids were on.

"Where'd he go?" Scott scrunched his little brow and looked across the ocean that matched his eyes.

"Oh he's around. Your dad's like a fish." Mitchell smiled at his grandchildren and gave them a helpful hint. "Take a look that way."

"I see him." Hattie had played this game before. She knew all too well that her dad would surprise them both coming from the complete opposite direction of where they thought. The little girl studied the water and smiled. "See. There he..."

"Ah!" Graham burst out of the water behind the raft.

Yelping with excitement, Hattie turned around with a wide grin. "How'd you do that!"

"Take me." Scott leaned off the raft and started kicking toward his father.

"Whoa, Sailor..." Graham picked up Scott and looked at his orange floaties. "I don't think you're ready for the big, blue, sea by yourself, bud."

"Uh-Huh." Scott started to lean out of his father's arms and wanted to show off his swimming skills.

Mitchell laughed and started to push his granddaughter toward the shore. "How about it, Hattie. Think we can get back faster?"

Graham secured Scott on his shoulders and held his son's hands. "I'll give them a head start, and we'll still beat them."

After letting his dad get ahead of them, Graham started pushing through the water. His strength and nature in the water gave him a definite advantage. Hattie was laying on her belly paddling with her arms, but it was no use. Her grandfather couldn't match her dad- not in the water anyway. It wasn't long until Graham and Scott passed the others.

Once they were ashore, Scott did a quick victory dance and shook his cute, frog bathing suit covered booty at his sister. "We won!"

Hattie stomped out of the water and scowled. "That wasn't fair!"

"Minnow. It was just a race." Graham followed his oldest over to the towels. "You can be on my team next time."

"No."

Knowing better than to argue or say anymore, Graham let her be. Hattie would pout for a little while, but she would get over it.

Mitchell walked over to his son and sat down in the warm sand. "I never had a chance, did I?" He knew better than to race his son that was meant to be in the sea.

Grinning, Graham laughed. "Probably not." He opened up a Capri-Sun for Scott and looked out to the water. "Next time, I'll give you a bigger lead." Graham could hear his dad chuckle and he leaned over to check his phone. It was probably close to one in the afternoon. His eyes narrowed as he tried to see with the glare. "That's weird."

"Huh?" Mitchell turned to his oldest son.

"It says I have five missed calls from Mom, one from Lane, one from Charlotte, and a couple of voicemails."

"I wonder what's going on?"

"I don't know." Graham hit a few buttons and listened to the first voicemail.

"Hi. It's me. I uh...well..." A nervous laugh came from Charlotte's voice. "I'm in labor. At least I think I am. Your mom's driving me to the hospital. I'm okay. We're okay. I just...I hope you get this soon. Call me back."

"Oh my God..." Graham started to panic. For someone who prided himself on staying composed in adverse situations, the Coastie was less than calm. What time did she leave that message? The phone said Charlotte's call had been at eleven. "Two hours ago!" Graham was talking to himself and then eyed his dad. "We gotta go. Charlotte's having the baby." Scooping up some towels and throwing sand toys in a bag, Graham hustled over to the kids. "Mom's having the baby. We have to leave."

"No." Hattie had her towel over her head and was still dwelling on the humiliating loss. The four and a half year old didn't quite understand the time constraint.

"Yes." Graham put Scott's shirt on backwards and handed Hattie her clothes. "We have to go."

"Not me."

"Hattie..." Kneeling next to his oldest child, Graham's voice became stern. "I don't have time for arguing. We're leaving." Trying to put in a little bit of perspective, Graham put his hand on Hattie's shoulder. "Mom needs us."

Mitchell slung wet towels around his neck and picked up the beach bag in one hand and Scott in the other. "What do you say, Hattie?"

Not giving her the chance to answer, Graham picked up his little girl and started running toward the parking lot. "I bet we beat them to the car!"

Giggling, Hattie nodded and lifted her towel away from her face. "Hurry. Hurry." She turned around to see her grandfather and brother behind them. Her mood immediately changed and she was back to her sweet, loving self.

As the car rolled out of the parking lot, Charlotte's hospital bed rolled toward the delivery room.

"Can't we wait? I want to wait." Beads of sweat spotted Charlotte's face. She clutched the rail of the bed and closed her eyes. "Hold on. Hold on."

One of Charlotte's nurses could empathize with the mother. "I know you want your husband here, but it's best if we go ahead and go."

"No. Stop, please." Charlotte was in a foreign hospital with foreign doctors. Her husband wasn't there. Her family wasn't there. She didn't want to do it alone. Sure, Anne and Graham's sister Lane were in the waiting room, but it wasn't the same. It wasn't the same.

"It'll be a breeze, honey. If this is your third baby, you'll be done in no time." Trying to reassure Charlotte, another nurse chimed in.

It wasn't the pain or the actual labor Charlotte was concerned about. That wasn't it at all. Charlotte just wanted Graham. She needed him.

A man in a white coat with small-rimmed glasses and a gray mustache smiled at Charlotte as he walked alongside her bed. "Charlotte, I'm Dr. Childers. Looks like you're having a baby this afternoon."

"I don't want to. Not right now." Running on emotions and pumped up with drugs, Charlotte shook her head. "Please." Those big doe eyes of hers welled with tears and she looked away. "Please."

"You're in great hands, and I'm sure your husband will be here soon. They told me your brother-in-law went to the beach. They may get here before we even get you to the actual delivery room."

Looking up, Charlotte could see the sign. That wasn't going to happen. She'd be in that room in less than ten seconds.

The wheels of the hospital bed rolled into the delivery room and Charlotte took a deep breath, silently asking the baby to hang on for a minute or so. The pressure in her back and abdomen told her she was going to have push, so she did.

"Deep breath. That's it..." Dr. Childers encouraged his patient to continue as she was. "You're doing great."

Graham needed to be saying those words. Graham needed to be holding her hand.

Ten minutes elapsed, and Charlotte knew she was about to welcome a baby girl into the world. She could feel it. She could sense it. A nurse and other figures in blue scrubs came into the door and one of them walked right over to Charlotte.

Running red lights, and parking in a handicap spot, Graham made it to the hospital just in time. Taking her hand and pressing his head to hers, the green-eyed man looked to the brown-eyed woman.

"You're here." Charlotte's worry flew out of mind when she saw those familiar eyes.

"Barely." Graham laughed and kissed her temple. "I'm sorry I missed your call."

"Doesn't matter." Breathing deeply, Charlotte shook her head, "It doesn't matter." Graham was there. It was all she cared about.

"Almost there, Charlotte. One more big push." Dr. Childers work was almost done.

With one hand clasped over Charlotte's and another rubbing her shoulder and back, Graham felt his world slow down. The last twenty minutes of his life felt like they'd gone by in an instant but he was holding on to this one. It was one of those memories he'd hang onto for quite sometime. Right next to the memory of the first time he and Charlotte met, the image of Charlotte walking down the aisle, and the births of their two other children, Graham was sure of this one's place.

"Congratulations, guys. It's a healthy baby girl."

Graham's thoughts were interrupted by the doctor, but then his eyes fell on the beautiful little baby in front of them.

A nurse bundled the small child in a blanket and placed her on Charlotte's chest.

Laughing her tears and stress away, Charlotte pressed her lips to the baby's head. "Hi."

Graham felt the same joy his wife did. He looked at the precious child and held her little finger. "Welcome to the world Virginia Mae McFarland."

Upon hearing those words, Charlotte leaned up and kissed Graham softly and sweetly. Whether they had been in Tree Hill or the Outer Banks, it honestly wouldn't have mattered. Everything was as it should be. Little Mae McFarland was safe and sound, healthy, and surrounded by the two people who loved her most.

**OTHOTH**

Summer faded to fall and with autumn's breeze came one of the annual Coast Guard banquets. Housed at the Railroad Museum next to the flowing Cape Fear, it was sure to be a wonderful evening. Moving speeches, a few awards, and food fit for royalty, the banquet would provide a nice change in entertainment for Charlotte and Graham.

Lately, the couple had their hands full with their three children. Hattie had started a pre-gymnastics class, Scott, feeling very outnumbered with two sisters, created an imaginary brother for himself, and nearly two-month-old Mae was already starting to teeth. It was organized chaos at best, but Charlotte and Graham wouldn't have changed it.

Charlotte smoothed down the sides of her navy blue dress and looked at her figure in the bathroom mirror. Her cheeks reddened and a nervous smile slipped across her lips. Charlotte had a feeling she and Graham would end up having a very nice night together.

"Mama..." Scott ran into the bathroom and looked up to his mom. He was wearing his father's formal combination cap, and had to push it up so his emerald eyes met his mothers. "Charlie isn't sharing."

Kneeling down, Charlotte furrowed her brow. "Not sharing?" Charlie was Scott's imaginary brother, and apparently the two weren't playing nice. "Well how about you two give it a rest? Grandma and Grandpa will be here soon." The thirty-one year old sweetly pulled on the cap resting on her son's head. "And I bet your grandfather will share with you."

"Okay." Nodding, Scott knew he would. Nathan was good about that kind of thing. Whether the old basketball lover was sharing a cookie or a blanket on the couch, Charlotte's father was good to his grandchildren.

Charlotte watched Scott run out of the bathroom and she finished up getting ready. After choosing a pair of earrings Liza had given her years ago and dabbing on some make-up, the mother of three knew she wasn't alone when she heard a soft baby gurgle. When she looked up, Charlotte saw Graham in his handsome, dress blues. He was holding Mae in his arms with a grin.

"Hi." The brunette fiddled with her hair and felt a warm blush wash over her cheeks.

"You're beautiful." Graham stepped closer and couldn't help but stare. Charlotte was glowing. That color on her was his favorite, and he smiled at the little girl in is arms. Having a mother like Charlotte, meant their littlest girl would be equally as beautiful. "Mayday, you're gonna be a heartbreaker when you get older, aren't you?"

Charlotte moved closer to her husband and youngest. "Probably." Pressing a soft kiss to the top of Mae's head, Charlotte smiled.

Mae had Graham's green eyes, fine blonde hair, and a temperament that fit her nickname. Wily but incredibly peaceful at times, the little girl was a handful.

After admiring the baby for a moment, Graham looked up to his wife. "You're parents are here by the way."

Nodding, Charlotte smiled. "I thought so. Let me just grab my purse." With one more quick glance at her outfit, Charlotte got her purse and followed her husband to the living room.

Haley eagerly took Mae in her arms and cooed over her youngest grandchild while Nathan was summoned to a game of memory with Hattie and Scott.

"Thanks for coming." Charlotte reached for a light coat and Graham helped her put it on.

Shaking off her daughter and son-in-law, Haley grinned down at the baby. "Anytime." Looking back to Charlotte and Graham, Haley tilted her head to the door. "Go. Have fun. Enjoy it."

"We will." Smiling, Graham ushered Charlotte out the door and thanked Nathan for helping too.

The duo made it to the car and Graham headed downtown. The Coastie couldn't help but see Charlotte fidgeting in the passenger seat. He reached over and took her hand in his. "You okay? You seem a little anxious?" He furrowed his brow and joked, "Even though Sawyer and Ben aren't coming, it won't be that bad."

Quietly laughing, Charlotte shook him off. It wasn't that, but the mere idea of Sawyer and Ben made Charlotte widen her eyes. Their best friends had their hands full. Newborn twins, newfound parenthood, and total exhaustion had turned Sawyer and Ben's lives upside down. "Can you imagine?"

Graham shook his head. "No."

His matter-of-fact answer made his wife laugh with a hint of regret. "Graham..." Charlotte's tone changed, "They're not bad parents."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. I'm saying, it's a lot to handle all at once." Graham knew Ben really well. He knew Sawyer really well. It didn't matter how much anyone prepared, two babies at once took major skill. Looking over to his superhuman wife, Graham flashed Charlotte a sweet smirk. "They're not you."

Rolling her eyes at the compliment, Charlotte downplayed his words. "You give me too much credit."

Only giving her a look in reply, Graham turned his attention back to the road.

It didn't take long to get to get to the Railroad Museum. It was beautifully lit, and a slew of Coasties and their dates were making their way inside. Charlotte and Graham did the same.

Fluted glasses of champagne floated through the room on the trays of waiters, and little hors d'oeuvres enlightened everyone's tastebuds. The simple yet elegant occasion was just the kind of distraction Charlotte and Graham could enjoy. Be it the small talk with Graham's commanding officers, or Charlotte's catching up with the other Coastie wives, the two McFarlands were having a fantastic time.

After dinner and the short awards ceremony, couples were encouraged to take to the western pavilion to enjoy the live band. Graham escorted Charlotte outside and held out his hand. Older couples were dancing and he thought she might like too.

Appreciating the gesture, Charlotte politely declined. "I would, but my feet are killing me." She let out an embarrassed laugh and grimaced. "I'm not used to wearing heels for so long."

He could understand that, so instead of dancing, Graham grabbed two glasses of champagne. "Here."

Charlotte watched the bubbles rise to the top and felt the butterflies in her stomach do the same thing.

"Thanks for coming."

Looking into those ocean green eyes of his, Charlotte smiled. "Thanks for having me."

Graham took a sip of his champagne and watched his wife hold her flute toward him. He furrowed his brow wondering if she'd lost her taste for champagne like she'd lost her appetite for dancing. And then it hit him. It was one look- one look into Charlotte's brown eyes and he knew exactly why she wasn't drinking.

Charlotte watched the realization sink into her husband's expression. "I told you." Charlotte bit her lip and felt her cheeks heat up. "I told you we needed to wait."

Laughing, Graham's mouth hung open in a surprised grin. "You're pregnant?"

Charlotte nodded and slowly shrugged her shoulders. "I'm pregnant."

"Holy cow." The Coastie smiled wider and put down his champagne so he could hug the woman in front of him.

Feeling his strong arms wrap around her back, Charlotte rested her chin on his shoulder. "So you're okay with it?"

"Okay with it? Of course I am. It's a little sudden, but... " He kissed her cheek, "Charlotte, I love you."

Swallowing the lump of nerves that had been in her throat all night, Charlotte moved away and looked at Graham. "I love you too." Charlotte hugged her husband again and laughed, "And for Scott's sake I hope it's a boy. I don't know how much more _Charlie_ I can deal with."

Laughing with Charlotte, Graham nodded. "Me either."

It wouldn't matter though. Boy or girl, baby number four would get them to the family they'd always wanted- they'd always planned. Just like Mae's early arrival, things didn't happen as expected, but life was unexpected. Plans were made for rescheduling, and life was made for adventure. For Charlotte and Graham, the adventure was never-ending and always exciting. Just like a story made from scratch, sometimes you just have to go with it.

**OTHOTH**

**There we go guys. Not only do we get to meet baby no. 3, but we find out about baby no. 4! As sad as it is to say, the next chapter will likely be the last chapter- the epiloge. I think I've got a good way to wrapping everything up that you all will like. It's not exactly what I originally planned, but like the chapter, I'm gonna go with plan B. Sawyer's story still have a ways to go though. Don't worry. I won't be done writing the Little Moments franchise anytime soon.**

**My reviewers! You know I love you. In the interest of time, I am not going to reply to review tonight. I wanted to edit and post ASAP. I will reply tomorrow night though. I will. Check back later, but until then, feel free to leave your thoughts in a review for this chapter. I love reading what you all think.**


	34. The Finish Line

**Little Moments: Like Mother, Like Daughter**

**Chapter 34: The Finish Line**

**Disclaimer: Again, I don't own anything related to OTH. I own the DVDs, but that's it. **

**A/N: As the story comes to a close, I want to take a second and say a few things to my wonderfully dedicated FanFiction family. Creating the life story for Nathan and Haley's daughter has been an absolute blast. Even though we have the "real" character in Lydia, I'd like to think (and maybe some of you do too) that Charlotte was the daughter Nathan and Haley were always supposed to have. I've loved getting to 2write about young love and the Coast Guard. I've loved the drama and the happiness shared between Charlotte and Graham. I love the couple and I love writing. I hope you've enjoyed the story as much as I have, because we wouldn't have made it this far without you guys. My readers and reviewers have been _phenomenal_. It's hard to get people interested in spinoffs, and the support for the entire Little Moments franchise has been more than I ever could have imagined. So thank you. Thanks so much. So here it is. Here's Charlotte's final chapter. Enjoy!**

**-ReeseHolden**

**OTHOTH**

It was morning. The early sun was bouncing light off the Cape Fear in every direction, and the steam from a paper coffee cup mixed into the thick humid air. June was like that in North Carolina- humid. It always had been and always would be. No matter how much time had passed, some things in Tree Hill would never change.

Looking out across the calm water, Charlotte raised her coffee towards her mouth and took a quick sip. It was a strange thing, time. The wooden bench she sat on had been there for ages. Marred with engravings and messages from strangers, the old spot her parents used to come to was timeless. Now in her mid fifties, Charlotte had a deeper appreciation for tradition and pastime. In fact, the whole reason she was downtown on an early June morning was due to tradition. It was the day of the annual Diligence Dash.

Like so many years before, Charlotte was going to work at the registration table. She'd make small-talk with participants and encourage each and everyone of them with her sweet smile. She'd meet new friends and neighbors, but this Diligence Dash was going to be a little bit different than those of years prior. This morning was about more than just the race. It wasn't about the runners, or the street vendors along the Riverwalk. It was about Graham. Her husband was receiving a medal of valor for his servitude and commitment to the United States Coast Guard. He'd actually already been given the award at last month's banquet, but the Admiral wanted to let the public know of Graham's diligent duty. What better place than the annual Diligence Dash?

Even with the morning heat, Charlotte could feel her cheeks redden at the thought of Graham. He still had that effect on her. It was cute. After thirty some odd years together, they were still as in love as ever. Charlotte was so proud of him- of his accomplishments and of their lives together. He'd given her everything she could have ever wanted and more.

Looking out across the water to cool her rosy cheeks, Charlotte eyed the Rivercourt. The old gray battleship was still anchored to the marshy land near the basketball court, and memories of her childhood and of her family flooded Charlotte's memory. It was hard to believe it had been over fifty years since her father first took her out there to shoot free throws. It was even harder to believe it had been sixteen years since she'd gone on her last school field trip to the old, weathered battleship. Her kids were all grown now. All four of them were out of high school, finished with college, and starting their own exciting, young lives.

Hattie was nearly thirty and she was busting her butt to try and make partner at a Raleigh based law firm. Incredibly intelligent and kind, Hattie kept her priorities and commitments to work. Her younger brother, Scott, however, had found the delicate balance of work and family. An electrical engineer, Scott married a young dental assistant and the two twenty-seven years old currently had little boy who was almost six months old. A dark-haired mixture of Graham and Nathan, Charlotte's first grandchild had been spoiled rotten. Charlotte was actually quite surprised she only had one grandchild thus far. Mae had always been the one Charlotte had worried about. Wiley, gregarious, outgoing, and willing to try anything once, Mae seemed to be on life's road trip without a map or a destination. Wherever the wind would take her, the twenty-four year old would go. It took her a little longer to finish college than her older brother and sister, and she'd dabbled in various job markets, but she'd yet to find her niche. It would come eventually, though. Charlotte felt sure of that. The other thing Charlotte had been sure of was that one of her boys would follow in their father's footsteps. And her youngest had. Banks had grown up the baby of the family; Charlotte and Graham's favorite surprise. Light haired like Mae, but with big brown eyes like Hattie, Banks took after his father and knew early on the Coast Guard was for him. If he wasn't chasing girls in high school he was splashing through waves on the old sailboat. So it seemed natural that the now twenty-three year old found himself working on vessels of all shapes and sizes with the USCG up in Curtis Bay, Maryland.

Out of the corner of her eye, Charlotte caught sight of Tree Hill's own Coast Guard cutter. Banks wasn't working on that particular boat, but she couldn't help but imagine him standing aboard the Diligence with his uniform and sweet grin like Graham had done so many times before. Lost in her thoughts, Charlotte barely heard the footsteps walking towards her. Turning, the older woman looked up to see her first-born child, who at twenty-nine, was no longer a child.

Hattie was petite, had big, beautiful brown eyes, chestnut colored hair, and was just as graceful as Charlotte but sometimes showed off her innate ability of being athletically clumsy. She nearly tripped when she reached the bench.

"Whoa..." Holding out her hands, Hattie steadied her balance and Charlotte couldn't help but smile.

This year Hattie was the one who would be sitting next to Charlotte at the registration table. Sawyer, Charlotte's partner in crime for so many years wasn't going to be there. The music lover had moved away from Tree Hill after her parents were gone and the twins were grown. But that was one thing Charlotte could never do. She could never leave North Carolina. It was home, and there was only one Tree Hill.

Charlotte looked up, shielded the sun from her eyes, and smiled at Hattie. "Hi."

The twenty-nine year old sat down and pushed her hair behind her ear with a defeated sigh. "Hi. I tried to get a hold of Mae, but she didn't answer. I think she went out last night, so it could be a rough morning for her."

Grinning, Charlotte let out a small laugh. Her two daughters couldn't be any more different. "I'm sure we'll meet up with her eventually. She always finds a way to get where she needs to be." Charlotte's lips turned into a smile. The dynamics between Hattie and Mae were something she could relate to.

"Yeah, but if anyone is going to miss the ceremony, it will be her. The only reason Banks gets a pass is because he's is Maryland." Hattie looked at her watch and widened her eyes, theatrically adding to her annoyance. "Good thing you didn't volunteer Mae to work registration. It's almost time to set up. We better head that way."

Charlotte started to get up and playfully leaned into Hattie's side, "Why do you think I asked you?"

**OTHOTH**

The first thirty minutes working registration hadn't been so bad. The humidity was beginning to lift, and a nice breeze began rolling off the Cape Fear River. Charlotte was an old pro. Hattie watched her mother quickly and without thought hand out packets and give instruction with ease. The younger brown-eyed woman was a bit slower, but she was getting the hang of it.

"Next?" Without looking up, Hattie waited for the name.

"Underpants. Captain Underpants."

Laughing, Hattie knew the voice instantly. Scott's dark hair made his green eyes look the color of the ocean, but the little boy he was holding in his arms was his best feature.

"Hey, you..." Hattie reached out and took a hold of her nephew's little foot. "Mom...," Hattie turned to Charlotte, "Look who came to visit."

Smiling as wide as she could, Charlotte immediately took her grandson in her arms. "Did you see your dad at the house?"

"Yeah, he was just behind us. I'm sure he'll be here soon."

"What about Mae?"

Folding his arms, Scott shook his head. "Nope. She's probably at Clothes Over Bro's with Aunt Brooke."

"Probably." Charlotte nodded and turned her attention to the little guy in her arms. She missed the days of having her kids so small. He was precious, cute as a button, and that little blue ball cap that shaded the sun from his eyes was equally as adorable.

Noticing the line behind him, Scott reached for his son. "Here. I'll let you two get back to work. We don't want to be in your way. Just wanted to say hey."

"Alright. Bye, buddy." Hattie waved with a sweet grin.

"See ya later." Scott disappeared into the crowd.

Charlotte looked from her son to her daughter and couldn't help but notice the happy smile Hattie was wearing. "You know..." Charlotte turned to her oldest and raised her brow. "It's not too late to think about having a family of your own."

"Mom..." Hattie huffed at her mother and tried to avoid the conversation. This was not the time or place. She didn't want to get a lecture on her love life.

"I'm just saying, Hat. I mean what was so wrong with...Brian. You two were good together."

"Yeah, until our lunch dates ended with him giving me copies to run and mail to file. He treated me like a secretary which is why I will never date a lawyer or anyone in or near my office again."

Looking to the crowds of Coasties, Charlotte glanced back to Hattie. "Well...you never know who you might find out there."

"Mom. Please. Not now." Hattie looked out to the crowd. Yes, there were some very handsome men roaming the streets of her small hometown, but she didn't have time for that. "You know I'm trying to make partner, so just let me have that for a little while. I'm..." As much as she wanted a boyfriend, Hattie knew the likelihood of her finding her guy at the Diligence Dash was a pipe dream. "It's not gonna happen like you and Dad."

"Have a little optimism, Hattie."

"Mom..." Rolling her eyes, Hattie turned her attention back to the runners. "Next. Name please?"

"Oh, keep going. I'm thoroughly enjoying this." The blonde haired, green-eyed, twenty-four year old standing in front of Hattie twisted her grin into a smirk.

Charlotte looked to Hattie's line and saw her youngest daughter. "Mae."

"How long have you been standing there?" Hattie glanced at her sister with an embarrassing look.

"Long enough." The younger McFarland sister smiled and put her hands on her hips. "So yeah, Hat, go find yourself a cute Coastie. You know dad would approve." Turning towards the crowds of good-looking men, Mae wiggled her eyebrows.

"Ugh..okay, okay. You made your entrance... Go, I have to give runner's their stuff."

Laughing at Hattie, Mae nodded her head. "I know. I need mine."

Charlotte was handing someone their materials, and looked to Mae. "You're running?"

"Yep, so come on Hattie. Will you give it to me? It's McFarland, Mae. Or you know...it could be under Virginia, but I doubt it. I don't know, I didn't register."

Obviously Mae didn't sign herself up. Running in a 5K was not her style. Thumbing through the Ms, Hattie furrowed her brow. "Then who did?" She spotted their last name but then realized there were two packets. She looked back up to Mae after seeing the names. "Wha..."

With one her finger over her mouth, Mae wanted to make sure Hattie didn't spill the beans. Lying straight through her teeth, Mae talked loud enough so their mom could here. "I think Dad did."

"Well, good luck, honey." Charlotte smiled up to Mae with a wide grin as she handed a runner their things.

"Thanks, I'll need it." Mae walked away for a second but secretly made her way back to Hattie's side.

"What are you doing? And WHY didn't you tell me about..." Hattie crossed her arms disappointed she didn't know that Banks was coming into town.

"Shh..." Mae leaned over and made sure Charlotte was busy with runners. "Because you don't need to know everything, Hattie. You're already like...a genius. I kinda thought you would figure it out."

"Does Scott know?"

"No. Just me. Mom doesn't. Dad doesn't. Nobody except me. Well, and Miller, but that's only because he's staying at her place."

Hattie was actually quite surprised at Mae's handy work. Maybe she didn't give her sister enough credit sometimes? "So...what do I need to do?"

"You and Mom need to switch places since you have the M's."

"Okay." Hattie leaned over to her mom and looked back to her sister. "But what do I say?"

"I don't know? You'll figure it out." Mae quickly got up and vanished into the crowded Riverwalk.

Hattie handed out another two packets before coming up with something decent to tell her mom. "Ugh...hey, Mom? I have more packets on this side than you, and since you're faster, you wanna switch?"

Charlotte looked down to the bins of registration packets and saw that Hattie was right. "Sure."

Once settled in her new chair, Hattie looked around for Mae, but all she saw was the lengthly line of runners still waiting for for their things. "Next..."

With fifteen minutes to race time, Charlotte knew her volunteering time was nearly over. There were only a few more people in her line. Carl, the chief of the Tree Hill Fire Department, a UNCW couple that reminded Charlotte of a young Jamie and Liza, and Stanley, the butcher who worked at a the local Piggly Wiggly.

"What do ya say, Charlotte? Think I got a chance at winning this thing?" The older man was just joking as he smoothed the sides of his race sticker against his shirt. "I'm faster than I look." He patted his belly with a grin.

Looking to the man who resembled Santa's Clauses younger, dark-haired brother, Charlotte politely smiled. "I'll be rooting for you." After Stanley walked away Charlotte turned to the unclaimed registration packs. "Looks like we'll have some no shows." She counted up the number in her head, and looked to Hattie. "What about you. How many do you have left?"

"Um..." Hattie did a quick count. "Seven."

"I have four left." Charlotte looked back down to double check

"Am I too late?" A deeper voice interrupted the women. The young man looked to his mother and smiled, "It should be under McFarland."

Charlotte immediately looked up and saw her youngest son. "Banks! What are you doing here?" He was supposed to be in Maryland. He wasn't supposed to be coming home now.

The twenty-three year old smiled with a shrug of his shoulders.

Charlotte got up and walked around the table to hug him. "I sent your birthday check in the mail last week. If I had known, I would have given it to you in person"

Laughing, Banks nodded. "It's okay, I got it. Thank you."

"Did you know about this?" Mid hug, Charlotte looked over to Hattie.

Shaking her head, the brunette held her hands out. "Not a thing."

"Mae organized it all." Banks looked over to Mae who'd walked up towards her family.

Seeing the blonde McFarland walk up, Charlotte let go of Banks to hug Mae. "You did all of this?"

"Sorta." As self-absorbed as she normally was, Mae didn't want to take all of the credit.

"Have you seen your dad, yet?" Charlotte pulled away from Mae to look at Banks again. She couldn't help but run her hand over the hair above his ear. It had been six months since he'd been home.

"No, not yet. I figured we'd surprise him, too."

Knowing the race was about to start, Hattie waved her mother away from the table. "You go. I'll take the packets and clean up. None of them had seen Banks since Christmas, and Hattie knew her mom would like a few minutes with him before he started the race.

"I'll help you, Hattie." Mae watched her mother and brother walk away.

Gathering up the things on the table, Hattie looked over her shoulder. "Don't you have a race to run?"

Laughing, Mae shook her head. "I'm not actually running. I just wanted the cheap plastic water bottle we get for registering."

Hattie rolled her eyes and laughed out loud. How did she not see that coming? "Well...I have to give you credit. You did a pretty good job on getting Banks here."

"I know, right." Mae was pretty proud of her accomplishment too. "And you know what my next mission is?"

"I'm kinda scared to ask."

Mae waved Hattie off. "You remember how little Penny Baker used to be all crushed out on Banks? Well, she's not so little anymore. I saw her in Clothes Over Bro's..."

"So you're gonna play matchmaker?"

Nodding, Mae arched her brow. "Who knows, maybe that's my thing."

Hattie didn't want to hurt Mae's feelings, but she didn't see her sister having a budding career in matchmaking. "Maybe."

As the girls started walking away with the rest of the registration things to return to the event coordinator, a lone Coastie ran up to them out of breath.

Running his hands over his short crew cut, the guy in his late twenties or early thirties looked to the girls. "Pa...Packet. I need my packet."

Mae nudged Hattie towards the guy with a grin. "She'll help you."

"Um..." Hattie looked back to her sister, scolding Mae for nudging her. "What's your name."

"Gibbs. Lee Gibbs."

Mae started walking away and caught Hattie's eye. Drawing a heart in the air with both of her fingers, the blonde looked to her sister mouthing the word matchmaker.

Hattie just rolled her eyes and turned back to help the guy find his packet. He was good looking, and seemed nice, but if anything ever came of this, Hattie knew she'd never live it down. Mae wouldn't let her.

**OTHOTH**

Graham was making his way through Water Street and the lines of street vendors when the sound of the starting gun echoed off the water. The trampling of feet against the cobblestone pavement was a familiar sound. As much fun as he'd had in years past running in the Diligence Dash, Graham knew his aging knees would thank him for opting out.

Closing in on sixty, Graham knew he would stick to swimming. Not only was it his passion, it was easy on his joints. These days he was retired from rescue swimming, but he'd still take a trip up to Elizabeth City every once and a while to visit the training site to show the young guns how it was done. If he could, he'd be a rescue swimmer for the rest of his life, but his body and Charlotte kept him from doing it. The jump out of the helicopter didn't feel the same now as it did when he was younger, and he didn't want to put any undue worry on his wife than needed. It was a tough job, rescue swimming. He loved it, but he'd aged out. Instead of taking the plunge into the deep dark ocean, now he oversaw the rescue swimming division for Tree Hill. He still got to be apart of the day to day motions of what he'd loved to do, but the aches and pains that came with the job were a little different.

Almost forty years with the United States Coast Guard, and it had gone by in a blink of an eye. Starting as an Ensign at the academy, Graham had moved up the ranks to Rear Admiral. He's lost count of the number of saves he had. He'd lost count of the number of patrols he'd gone on. But one thing he'd always remembered was the person he'd come home to after all those long, stormy night missions and after all those assignments on the Diligence.

Walking down the Riverwalk, Graham saw Charlotte leaning against the wooden rails and he twisted his wedding ring around his finger as he got closer to her. He couldn't see her face. She was looking at the water, but he knew Charlotte well enough to know she probably had her eyes closed, letting the sounds of the Cape and the sun wash over her skin. He leaned against the rail next to her and took a deep breath, smiling at the mixture of her perfume and brackish air.

Sensing his presence, Charlotte turned to her right with a smile. She caught glimpse of the scar on his chin and felt her cheeks redden. She'd first noticed it on their beach date all those years ago, and Charlotte was sure he was more handsome with age. He was wearing his casual utility blue uniform, and Graham always looked good in a uniform. The ball cap that went with it was in his hand so his gray hairs speckled in the light. There was something about that gray hair Charlotte liked, too- a reminded of their time together, perhaps?

"Hi."

Leaning over to kiss his wife, Graham pressed his lips just above her eyebrow. "Hey." He started to grin and ran his hand over his chest. "I was at the house for a while trying to figure out what to wear."

Charlotte smiled and brushed her thumb over the patch that had their last name on it. "I'm glad you picked this one."

Graham looked good in any of the uniforms he had, but there was something causally adorable about his utility blues. It had been his go-to attire for the majority of their marriage, and she liked the familiarity of it. It wasn't for special occasions or dressed up with decals. It was the simplicity of it all that she liked. It showed Graham off for who he was.

"How was registration?" Graham couldn't help but reach out and touch the sleeve of the white volunteer t-shirt.

Smiling widely, Charlotte nodded. "Good. Really good. There were lots of familiar faces."

"Yeah?" Graham looked into his wife's big brown eyes with a grin. "Did Stanley come by?"

"Yep. He told me he was gonna win."

Laughing, Graham arched his brow, "Probably because I told him the short cut."

"Graham." Charlotte's mouth fell open.

"What, I didn't think it would hurt. And..." Graham moved closer to Charlotte and rested his arms around her hips. "...he threw in an extra steak last week because I told him."

"So that's why there were three?"

"Yep." Graham nodded and leaned in to kiss his wife.

His lips on hers, and it still felt like they were in their twenties. Charlotte moved away and furrowed her brow. "All of this coming from a man getting an award for honor."

"Valor, Charlotte. Valor." His grin was still sweetly smiling at her. "It's different than honor. " He playfully shook his head. "I doubt me giving the butcher a few hints about the race will disqualify me."

"Well, no..." Charlotte knew exactly why the Coast Guard was honoring her husband, and he was right, they weren't going to take the award away from him.

Over his wife's shoulder, Graham saw a young couple walking toward them. He moved away from Charlotte and smiled at his oldest son and daughter-in-law. "Hey..." Graham walked toward Scott and Sarah and immediately looked to the little boy. "Let me see my first mate."

Charlotte watched her husband pick up their grandson and felt her heart swell. He'd been cute with their kids and he was even sweeter with the little boy.

"Here you go. I think you'll look better in this one." Moving the little hat of the boy's head, Graham put his oversized ball cap on the little boy's head, and put the little one on his. "What do you think, Charlotte. Better, right?" Graham turned to his wife and smiled.

"Perfect." The tiny little hat atop Graham's head made her laugh.

The family of five started to walk back down Water Street and Scott shook his head. "You know, Dad. I'm gonna start to be jealous of my own son. He's your _first mate_ and I was just...Sailor."

Charlotte laughed and patted her son on the shoulder, "Don't feel too bad, Scott. Banks never really got a nick-name."

Graham nodded and looked back to Scott. "After Mayday turned out to be a pre-cursor, I knew I better watch it." Looking back to the little boy with blue eyes, Graham made a funny face. "But not with this one. I can tell. He's gonna do big things."

"Hopefully." Scott's wife nodded as she grabbed ahold of her husbands hand.

"He might even grow into that Coast Guard hat." Scott knew his father would love nothing more.

Grinning, Graham nodded. "Maybe."

Charlotte followed her husband through the crowds of people and couldn't help but smile at his pride in showing off their grandson. Walking around with the little boy was more fun than getting any award.

Nearly halfway down the long line of vendors they realized it was time to make their way towards the stage set up by City Hall. It was close to 10:30am, the race was coming to a close, and runners were crossing the finish with sweaty victory. Fifteen minutes until the ceremony began, the McFarlands headed towards City Hall's fountain to meet up with the rest of the family. To everyone's surprise, Mae we sitting on the fountain's edge.

Drawing circles and other shapes into the water, Mae loved the cold water on her skin. She heard the murmuring of her family as they approached, and she shook her hand free of the liquid and water.

"Did you race?" Scott noticed his sister's race number and questioned Mae with a laugh. He was holding his son now and bounced him in his arms.

"Uh...no. Long story."

Charlotte looked around and then back to her youngest daughter. "Where's Hattie?"

Mae felt herself grin. "Around." Her green eyes scanned the crowds and she pointed to her older sister. "Right there." Mae watched her family turn to spot Hattie with a mystery man.

"Who is that?" Graham's protective side came out and Mae laughed.

Walking past her father, she patted his chest with a grin, "Don't worry too much, Dad. He's in the Coast Guard."

Charlotte felt herself start to smile and she looked to her husband. Maybe the apple didn't fall far from the tree? "Mae, why don't you go run and get her."

Never one to run, hence her lack of participation in the Diligence Dash, Mae cupped her hands over her mouth and screamed her sister's name instead.

"Mae..." Charlotte scolded the blonde and swatted at her. "Don't do that."

Shrugging her shoulders, Mae looked to her mom with her hands out. "It worked."

Shaking her head with a laugh. Charlotte always wondered whether Mae was Sawyer's daughter. She certainly had the attitude for it.

Hattie and everybody else in relative proximity heard Mae's shouts. Turning her shoulder, she eyed the group standing next to City Hall's fountain and then looked back to the guy standing in front of her. "I uh...I have to go." Hurrying towards her family, Hattie left the Coastie by himself.

Once the oldest met up with the family, they headed for the stage. I would be simple. The kids and Charlotte would all stand on the left side with Graham until he was called up to the podium. He'd probably say a few words, smile, and wave to the crowd. Well known and respected in Tree Hill, Graham would likely get a nice applause.

The sun was glaring down on the stage with ferocious intent. Beads of sweat were pooling on everyone's foreheads.

Leaning close to Mae, Hattie whispered, "So where's Banks?"

"Just...it's all worked out." Mae fanned herself and smiled. "Chill."

Scott noticed his sisters whispering about something and butted in. "What's worked out."

"Shh." Mae's eyes widened.

"Nothing," Hattie snapped back.

Charlotte could hear the three of them behind her. "Would you quit it?"

Her mom was right. They were going to ruin it if they didn't stop. Hattie stepped next to her dad. He'd been staring off into the crowd, and she could tell he was nervous. Bumping shoulders with him, the brown-eyed young woman smiled, "I don't think I congratulated you for this yet."

Turning towards his oldest with a smile, Graham pulled Hattie close to him. "You don't have to, Minnow."

Hearing him say that made Hattie feel like a little girl again.

"Yeah, Dad..." Scott followed Hattie's lead and held out his hand. "You deserve it."

After shaking Scott's hand, Graham saw Mae step between the others.

She arched her brow and shrugged her shoulders with the grin that got her in trouble. "Go get em', Dad." She hugged her father and rested her head against his chest.

When Mae moved away, Charlotte stepped by her husband. She felt Graham take her hand. His fingers brushed over her engagement ring and they both looked to each other thinking the same thing. Thank goodness they'd found it in the sand all those years ago.

Lifting on her tiptoes, Charlotte pressed a sweet kiss against his cheek. "I love you, Graham."

"I love you, too."

The Admiral of Tree Hill's division of the Coast Guard stepped up to the microphone and started to introduce Graham and the award. Standing together, Charlotte and Graham all but toned out the commanding officer. They were busy being together in the moment. It was, after all, the anniversary of the day they met.

"...Allow me to introduce Rear Admiral Graham McFarland." Graham's boss looked to him with a smile, "The United States Coast Guard would like to acknowledge your dedication, commitment, and valor during your time with us."

Looking to Charlotte once more, Graham kissed her quickly before walking to center stage. Mid walk, however, he noticed who was holding the plaque. The applause was was loud but it didn't drown out the exchange between father and son.

"Banks..." Graham took the award and hugged his son.

"Congrats, Dad." The young Coastie patted his father on the back.

Taking a moment to let it sink in, Graham watched Banks walk over to the others. A grin spread across his face as he scanned over the happy faces. It had been thirty-three years in the making- his family, and he couldn't have done any of it without them. They'd given him the reasons to be the kind of man he'd become. Going down the line from Hattie to Banks, Graham's eyes ended on Charlotte's and he took a deep, sharp breath in. There was so much he could say to her. There was a lifetime's of thank-yous she deserved.

Charlotte looked back into those green eyes of Graham's and smiled. She slightly nodded at him as if accepting his silent words. She knew they were a team. They'd started something together, and they were going to finish together.

The End


End file.
